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UNIVt!^21TY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

LIBRARY. 

LOS   A^i.,    .1.     -::.   CALIF. 


City  of  Decatur 


Written  by 

Fifth,  Sixth,  Seventh,  Eighth 
and  Ninth  Grade  Pupils  of  the 

Decatur  Public 
Schools 


6  2  6  5  0 


q)EDICATION 

We  the  pupils  of  the  Decatur  Public 
Schools  dedicate  this  book  to  the 
patrons  and  citizens  of  Decatur,  Illinois 


"^  INTRODUCTION 

There  is  so  much  which  the  schools  must  teach  that  can 
"^      be  gotten  only  from  books,  and  in  the  class-room,  that  they 
^     tend  to  be  detached  from  life.    The  task  of  learning  to  read, 
>-     to  spell,  to  write,  to  master  the  fundamental  operations  of 
arithmetic  is  so  difficult  and  so  engrossing  for  so  many 
years,  that  both  teachers  and  pupils  find  it  difficult  to  re- 
main sensitive  to  the  world  of  reality  which  never  finds  its 
way  into  books.     A  natural  result  of  application  to  the  task 
of  teaching  and  learning  the  rudimentary  subjects  of  the 
elementary  school  is  a  habit  of  mind  which  ignores  nature 
and  institutional  life  about  the  school. 
►  To  recognize  such  a  truth  is  not  to  minimize  the  impor- 

tance of  books,  nor  to  disparage  the  far-reaching  impor- 
tance of  teaching  well  the  subjects  referred  to  above.  But 
it  is  to  appreciate  the  fact  that  education  is  life  and  must  in- 
creasingly deal  with  life  to  be  vital  and  significant.  More 
and  more  must  pupils  learn  to  look  beyond  books  and  be- 
yond the  school-room  for  their  subject-matter  worthy  of 
study.  More  and  more,  as  they  advance  through  the  grades 
and  the  high  school,  do  they  need  to  study  nature  and  man 
— nature  in  field  and  forest  and  soil  and  stream,  and  man  on 
the  farm  and  in  the  city,  man  in  his  organized  and  institu- 
tional efforts  to  promote  the  social  good  which  we  call  civil- 
ization. 

Any  city,  any  community,  indeed,  is  a  laboratory  of 
greater  or  less  excellence  for  such  study.  When  rightly  di- 
rected and  pursued,  such  a  study  may  be  made  to  yield  rich 
returns  that  may  reenforce  much  conventional  and  tradi- 
tional teaching  of  language,  spelling,  reading,  numbers  and 
georgraphy,  but  more  than  that,  it  results  in  a  habit  of  mind 
less  cloistered  and  academic,  arouses  interest  in  adult  life 
and  institutions  surrounding  the  school,  widens  sympathies, 
extends  the  mental  horizon  of  pupils,  and  multiplies  the 
school's  points  of  contact  with  life  in  its  various  institu- 
tional forms. 


^ 


In  such  a  spirit,  and  with  such  a  conviction,  the  study- 
resulting  in  this  book  on  Decatur  was  undertaken.  Credit 
for  the  conception  of  this  study  is  due  Miss  Sarah  Mark  Im- 
boden,  Supervisor  of  Elementary  Schools  in  Decatur.  To 
the  whole-hearted  cooperation  of  principals,  teachers  and 
pupils,  and  to  the  contributions  made  by  dozens  of  business 
men  and  other  citizens,  without  whose  assistance  and  in- 
terest the  study  could  not  have  been  made,  I  make  glad  ac- 
knowledgment. 

Any  one  reading  the  book  even  cursorily  will  find  nu- 
merous errors  and  omissions.  For  them  it  is  unnecessary 
to  offer  apologies.  The  reader  is  merely  asked  to  keep  in 
mind  the  composite  and  immature  authorship  of  the  book, 
and  the  f limitations  imposed  by  that  fact.  It  would  have 
been  easy,  but  was  not  thought  either  wise  or  fair,  to  cor- 
rect such  errors  as  were  still  manifest  after  a  section  of  the 
book  left  the  hands  of  the  pupils  or  class  responsible  for  it. 

May  we  not  hope  that  this  study  will  result  in  greater 
interest  in  the  schools  upon  the  part  of  Decatur's  citizens, 
as  truly  as  in  greater  and  more  intelligent  interest  in  the 
city  upon  the  part  of  its  teachers  and  children? 

J.  O.  ENGLEMAN, 

Supt.  of  Schools. 


PREFACE 

In  planning  the  work  of  this  book  to  be  written  by  our 
upper  grade  pupils,  the  supervisor  wished  to  accomplish 
several  things : 

First,  to  assist  in  working  out  a  geography  project  to 
demonstrate  to  the  teaching  body  the  feasibility  of  the 
problem  attack  in  teaching  and  to  help  teachers  get  away 
from  the  traditional  method  of  testing  the  assimilation  of 
facts  gleaned  from  a  text  book — facts  which  often  fail  to 
interest  the  child  because  he  has  not  the  apperceptive  basis 
with  which  to  interpret  things  remote. 

Second — (a)  to  set  up  a  situation  which  would  give 
the  child  as  intimate  an  acquaintance  as  possible  with  his 
own  immediate  environment ;  (b)  to  build  up  the  child's 
concepts  thru  direct  observation  and  actual  experience  so 
that  he  might  have  a  more  vivid  and  accurate  mental  image 
of  that  which  must  be  gotten  indirectly  thru  concrete  read- 
ings and  pictures;  (c)  to  build  up  a  body  of  principles  in 
regard  to  city  growth  and  importance  which  would  enable 
him  to  apply  the  knowledge  gained  to  other  cities  studied ; 
and  (d)  to  provide  an  experience  appealing  to  the  child's 
interest  and  motivating  English  as  well  as  Geography. 

The  information  was  gained  thru  observation,  study 
and  research.  Where  it  was  not  practicable  to  visit  a  fac- 
tory the  necessary  data  were  gotten  by  the  pupils  writing 
letters  to  the  heads  of  concerns  listing  questions  they 
wished  answered  or,  as  in  many  cases,  inviting  the  per- 
son to  talk  to  them. 

Old  records,  newspapers  and  local  histories  have  been 
read  in  order  that  facts  might  be  authentic. 

The  whole  credit  of  this  work  is  due  to  the  intense 
effort  put  forth  by  the  pupils  stimulated  and  guided  by 
the  class  room  teacher.  Not  enough  can  be  said  in  praise 
of  the  untiring  energy,  interest  and  enthusiasm  shown  upon 
the  part  of  the  teachers  who  directed   the   work.     I   feel 


confident  from  their  reactions  that  they  as  well  as  the 
pupils  were  engaged  in  "a  whole-hearted  purposeful  unit 
of  activity." 

The  value  and  attractiveness  of  the  book  are  greatly 
enhanced  by  the  art  work — the  cover  design  and  tail  pieces 
at  the  end  of  the  chapters.  This  work  was  done  by  the 
Junior  High  School  under  the  direction  of  the  art  super- 
visor, Miss  Effie  Pearl  Imes,  and  the  special  teacher  in 
drawing,  Miss  Anna  Mead.  One  hundred  copies  which 
will  be  given  out  complimentary  were  hand  bound  by  the 
Junior  High  pupils. 

We  have  but  one  apology  to  offer.  The  pupils  studied 
that  which  was  within  their  immediate  environment.  This 
accounts  for  the  fact  that  many  industrial  and  commercial 
concerns  which  rank  high  in  our  community  and  which 
we  would  wish  to  include  in  an  extensive  study  of  Deca- 
tur, were  omitted.  Some  assigned  work  which  was  begun 
was  not  completed  due  to  a  change  of  teachers. 

SARAH  MARK  IMBODEN, 

Supervisor  of  Elementary  Grades. 


CONTENTS 

Foreword— SPIRIT   OF  DECATUR E.   A.  Gastman   7A 

Under  the  supervision  of  Sarah  Jane  MacMillan. 

Chapter  I— HISTORY  OF  DECATUR... 8A  Junior  High  School 
Under  the  supervision  of   Edith   F.   Montgomery. 

Chapter  II— DECATUR  AS  AN  EDUCATIONAL  CENTER 
7B   7A   Oakland  School 

History  of  Decatur  High  School,  first  year  English  class. 

Under  the  supervision  of  Mabel  Fletcher. 
Public  Schools,  James  Millikin  University,   Business   Colleges. 

Under  the  supervision  of  Nelle  N.  Clark. 

Chapter  III— INSTITUTIONAL  DECATUR. ..  .Oglesby   School 
Macon  County  Hospital 7A 

Welfare  Home 7B 

Under  the  supervision  of  Loretta  M.  Hayes. 

Pythian   Home    6B 

Anna  B.  Millikin  Home 6B 

Under  the  supervision  of  Frances  E.  Fagan. 

Chapter  IV— INDUSTRIAL   DECATUR. 

Foreword 6B    6A    Pugh    School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Mabel  Muthersbaugh. 
Leader   Iron  Works 5B   5A   Pugh   School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Sarah  Ann  Lyons. 
H.  Mueller  Manufacturing  Company 5B  5A  Pugh  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Maude  E.  Vigles. 
The  Staley  Manufacturing  Company 6B   Roach  School 

Under  the  supervision  of   Charlotte   Lafferty. 
The  Wabash   Shops 5B   5A   Roach   School 

Under  the   supervision  of  Freda   Douthit. 
The  Decatur  Bridge  Company 7B  Roach  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Fleta  Purdue. 
The  William  Sealing  Corporation. ..  .7B   H.  B.  Durfee  School 
The   Fairies  Manufacturing  Company. 6A  H.  B.  Durfee  School 
The  Comet  Automobile  Company 6B  H.  B.  Durfee  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Mary  C.  Sterrett. 
Dual  Truck-Tractor  Company. .  .Boys  5B  6B   E.  A.  Gast- 

man    School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Thursa  E.  Lux. 

The  Home  Manufacturing  Company 6A  Ullrich  School 

The  Osgood  Manufacturing  Company 6B  Ullrich  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Margaret  E.  S.   Roney. 

Lumbering  Industry 7B   7A  Ullrich   School 

Decatur  Lumber  &  Manufacturing  Company. 

Builders'   Lumber   Company. 

L.  Swisher  Lumber  Company. 

G.  S.  Lyon  Lumber  &  Manufacturing  Company. 

Under  the  supervision  of  Eda  Hunter. 
Decatur  Malleable  Iron  Co 5B  5A  Warren  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Gertrude  East. 


Danzeisen  Packing  House 6B  Jackson  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Ilah  Sellers. 
Macon  County  Coal  Company 6A  7B  Jackson  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Bradford  Stewart. 
Decatur's  Water  Supply 6A  7B  Mary  W.  French  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Mabel  E.  Wilson. 
United  States  Wire  Mat  Company. 5 A  Mary  W.  French  School 

The  Decatur  Tent  &  Awning  Company 

6B  Mary  French  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Emma  E.  Jacobs. 

Decatur   Coffin   Factory 8B  Junior  High  School 

Union   Iron   Works 8B  Junior  High  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Lucy  Murray. 
The  E.  Z.  Opener  Bag  Co 7A  Lincoln  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Bertha  Norman. 
Flint,  Eaton  &  Company 7B  Riverside  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Mattie  Waddington. 
Decatur   Drug   Company 6A  Riverside  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Estelle  Darnall. 
The   Suffern-Hunt   Mills 7A  Lincoln  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Ella  Boyer. 

CHAPTER  V— DECATUR'S  TRANSPORTATION 
FACILITIES. 

Decatur  as  a  Railroad  Center 6A  7B  Jasper  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Lucia  A.  Mysch. 

Illinois   Traction   System 5A  6B  Jasper  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Donna  Connor. 

Street  Cars  of  Decatur SB  SA  Jasper  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Mabel  A.  Hansen. 

Chapter  VI— PUBLIC  BUILDINGS. 

Macon  County  Court  House 

., Wayne    Parrish,   7A    Lincoln   School 

Decatur  Public  Library 
Decatur  Post  Office 

6A  Lincoln  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Loretta  Riordan. 

Chapter     VII— CHURCHES     AND     CIVIC     ORGANIZA- 
TIONS  6A  7B   Riverside  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Mattie  Waddington. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A 5A  SB  Riverside  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Grace  Kershner. 

Chapter  VIII— DECATUR   DEPARTMENT   STORES 

8B  Junior  High   School 

Linn  &  Scruggs  Company. 
Wm.  Gushard  Dry  Goods  Company. 
H.  S.  Gebhart  Dry  Goods  Company. 
The  Stewart  Dry  Goods  Company. 

Under  the  supervision  of  Valeria  F.  Foster. 

Chapter    IX— GOVERNMENT   OF   DECATUR 

SB  Junior  High   School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Jeanette  Ford. 

Chapter  X— BEAUTIFUL  DECATUR 6B  7B  Dennis  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Margaret  O'Brien. 

Chapter  XI— DECATUR'S  FUTURE E.  A.  Gastman  School 

Under  the  supervision  of  Jane  MacMillan,  Sarah  E.  Fitz- 
patrick,  Vergie  J.  Dorsett,  and  Jennie  G.  Ramp. 


The  spirit  of  a  city  is  the  general  disposition  of  its  citizens. 
This  disposition  is  shown  by  the  action  of  the  people. 


SPIRIT  OF  DECATUR 

A  certain  salesman  who  had  traveled  much  in  the  Cen- 
tral States  but  mostly  in  Illinois  was  asked,  when  he  was 
in  Decatur,  where  in  all  the  states  would  he  choose  to  make 
his  home. 

He  said,  "There  are  many  beautiful  cities  in  these  states 
and  many  are  good  business  towns,  but  taking  the  matter 
seriously,  I  am  choosing  Decatur  for  my  home  because  of 
the  splendid  'Spirit  of  Decatur.'  " 

The  spirit  of  Decatur  manifests  itself  in  the  cleanliness 
of  the  city,  in  the  friendly  co-operation  between  the  citi- 
zens, in  the  lack  of  petty  jealousies  between  them,  and  in 
the  fact  that  they  favor  worthy  improvements. 

A  marked  characteristic  of  Decatur's  people  is  cleanli- 
ness because  they  have  been  well  taught  that  to  leave  paper 
or  any  other  rubbish  lying  around  is  unsightly  and  also 
invites  disease.  The  citizens  take  a  pride  in  making  their 
yards  and  homes  attractive.  Decatur's  public  buildings 
are  as  well  kept  as  any  others  in  Illinois  and  probably  will 
continue  to  be  so  kept.  The  general  clean  and  well-dressed 
appearance  of  the  people  on  the  street  is  an  indication 
that  they  are  engaged  in  profitable  work  and  choose  to 
look  well  kept. 

Decatur  is  well  noted -for  the  fine  co-operation  between 
the  citizens.  This  is  shown  in  all  the  organizations  of 
Decatur.  They  all  take  action  on  that  which  is  progressive 
and  good  and  what  they  do  they  do  well.  This  is  one  of 
the  fine  things  that  shows  the  Spirit  of  Decatur,  for  it  is 
the  spirit  in  homes,  the  spirit  in  business,  the  spirit  in  war, 
and  the  spirit  in  times  of  peace  that  makes  up  the  fine 
.'spirit  of  Decatur. 

The  people  co-operate  in  a  friendly  way  to  secure  a 
good  city  government  and  to  make  the  city  more  beautiful. 
The  citizens  help  the  poor  who  are  in  need  and  protect 
the   health   of  all.     Strong  prevention   is   used   to   prevent 


accidents  and  loss  from  fire.  The  city  is  well  lighted  to 
prevent  crime.  The  business  men  show  justice  in  sharing 
their  profits  with  the  consumers. 

Decatur  keeps  a  greater  per  cent  of  her  children  in 
school  from  the  years  six  to  eighteen,  than  any  city  in 
Illinois.  This  shows  her  earnest  spirit  for  learning.  A 
large  per  cent  of  young  men  and  young  women  leave  De- 
catur every  year  to  enter  higher  institutions  of  learning. 
It  is  a  noticeable  thing  that  most  of  these  same  young 
people  return  to  Decatur  to  become  permanent  professional 
or  business  citizens.  This  speaks  well  for  the  present  and 
the  future  of  the  city. 

In  Decatur  there  is  a  lack  of  petty  jealousies  among 
the  business  men.  They  have  regard  for  another's  repu- 
tation and  do  not  interfere  with  business  competitors. 
Commodities  are  offered  at  a  fair  profit  to  dealer  and  buyer. 

All  civic  and  educational  clubs  of  the  city  show  a  pro- 
gressive spirit  by  favoring  worthy  improvements.  Future 
factories  and  enterprises  are  being  investigated.  The  bus- 
mess  section  of  the  city  is  kept  new  and  sanitary  because 
old  buildings  are  constantly  being  replaced  by  new  ones. 
The  water  supply  is  good  but  the  city  is  planning  to  make 
it  better.  Infant  life  is  protected  through  the  work  of 
the  Baby  Welfare  Station,  the  Day  Nurseries,  Visiting 
Nurse  Associations,  and  the  co-operation  of  careful  dairy- 
men. The  life  of  boys  and  girls  is  made  strong,  physically 
and  mentally,  by  the  efficient  schools,  churches,  clubs,  the 
Y.  W.  C.  A.,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Boy  Scout  and  Girl  Reserve 
organizations,  and  the  intelligent  care  which  the  parents 
give  to  the  rearing  of  their  children. 

The  older  citizens  are  leaving  a  rich  heritage  to  pos- 
terity,— a  city  well  organized  as  to  government,  well  estab- 
lished business  firms,  good  schools,  beautiful  parks,  a  grow- 
ing university,  churches  with  strong  memberships,  many 
and  active  civic  clubs,  up-to-date  hospitals,  secure  banks 
and  splendid  homes.  May  the  Spirit  of  Decatur  use  this 
heritage  to  promote  a  nobler,  richer  city  in  the  future. 


F\/qyMor(D  j^rLLETN  7^^  '20 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  U 

CHAPTER  I 
HISTORY  OF  DECATUR 

In  taking  up  the  subject  of  the  history  of  Decatur,  it  is 
fitting  that  some  mention  be  made  of  the  hero  whose  name 
the  city  bears. 

Stephen  Decatur  was  born  in  the  county  of  Worcester, 
Maryland,  January  5,  1779.  He  was  one  of  our  first  and 
most  gallant  naval  officers.  In  his  career  he  made  many 
brilliant  victories  and  was  highly  honored  by  his  country. 
He  was  finally  mortally  wounded  in  a  duel  with  Commodore 
Barrow.  When  he  was  dying  he  expressed  the  wish  that 
''he  would  rather  have  fallen  defending  his  country."  The 
country  realized  the  loss  of  this  brave  hero.  His  is  a  worthy 
name  for  our  progressive  city  located  in  Central  Illinois. 

On  the  tenth  day  of  April,  1829,  a  body  of  commission- 
ers, appointed  for  the  purpose  by  an  act  of  the  State  Legis- 
lature, met  to  decide  upon  the  location  of  a  "seat  of  justice" 
tor  the  then  new  county  of  Macon.  As  a  result  of  their 
meeting  a  site  was  selected,  and  an  order  was  made  for  the 
"laying  ofif"  of  the  town  of  Decatur. 

The.  County  Surveyor  at  that  time  was  Benjamin  R. 
Austin,  and  he,  having  performed  his  duty  as  ordered,  re- 
turned a  plat  for  the  county  seat.  Under  this  plat,  the 
town  of  Decatur,  as  laid  out,  contained  twenty  acres.  It 
was  bounded  by  Prairie  Street  on  the  north,  by  Water 
Street  on  the  east,  by  Wood  Street  on  the  south,  and  by 
Church  Street  on  the  west.  It  was  divided  by  the  intersec- 
tion of  the  two  main  streets,  one  running  east  and  west,  and 
the  other  street  running  north  and  south. 

This  square  received  various  names,  but  that  which 
interests  us  is  how  it  came  to  be  called  Lincoln  Square. 

There  was  a  time  when  Abraham  Lincoln,  one  of  the 
greatest  men  in  the  history  of  the  United  States,  split  rails 
and  worked  in  and  around  Decatur.  The  few  years  he  lived 
here  he  worked  for  a  Mr.  Shepherd,  who  owned  a  farm  just 


12  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

west  of.  Church  Street,  and  north  of  Main  Street,  which 
street  was  then  known  as  the  Springfield  road. 

One  day  while  Lincoln  was  plowing  with  a  yoke  of  oxen 
he  heard  cheering  coming  from  "The  Square,"  so  he  put 
his  plow  and  oxen  into  one  corner  of  the  field  and,  leaping 
over  the  fence,  he  went  to  the  square  to  investigate. 

He  found  a  man  who  was  a  Democrat  standing  in  a 
wagon  talking  to  the  people  about  the  Whig  party,  to  which 
Lincoln  belonged.  Now,  although  Lincoln  had  not  received 
a  school  education,  he  had  interested  himself  in  the  afifairs 
of  his  country,  and  had  read  a  great  deal.  As  a  result,  he 
had  "lined  up"  with  the  Whig  party.  He  was  so  impressed 
by  the  speech  which  he  heard,  and  so  aggravated  at  the 
gibes  which  the  speaker  threw  at  his  party,  that  when  the 
speech  was  finished  he  sprang  upon  the  splintry  stump  of 
an  old  tree  and  made  his  first  political  speech,  strongly  up- 
holding the  Whig  party.  The  knot  of  listeners  was  held 
spellbound,  and  afterwards  cheered  him  heartily. 

Thus  "the  square"  became  known  as  Lincoln  Square, 
and  to  this  day  it  bears  the  name  of  the  great  statesman, 
Abraham  Lincoln. 

There  was  no  Merchant  Street  at  that  time,  and  the  lots 
ran  east  and  west  as  laid  out. 

The  land  upon  which  the  county  seat  was  located  was, 
according  to  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  donated  to  the 
county  by  the  owners,  and  they  made  a  deed  to  the  County 
Commissioners  on  Oct.  8,  1831. 

Previous  to  this  time,  a  sale  of  town  lots  had  been  or- 
dered, and  the  clerk  of  the  County  Court  was  instructed  to 
advertise  the  sale  in  a  paper  printed  in  Vandalia,  which  was 
then  the  state  capital. 

In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  note  what  the  rate 
of  taxation  was  to  be,  and  the  things  taxed.  A  tax  of  one- 
half  per  cent  was  levied  on  pleasure  carriages,  on  distil- 
leries, on  stock  in  trade,  on  horses,  mares,  mules,  asses,  and 
neat  cattle  over  three  years  old ;  on  watches  with  their  ap- 
pendages ;  on  slaves  and  indentured  or  registered  negro  or 
mulatto  servants ;  and  on  all  personal  property  except  the 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  13 

lawful  firearms  of  each  individual.  This  tax  when  collected 
amounted  to  $109.32)^.  Tavern  rates  were  also  fixed.  For 
breakfast  and  horse  feed,  it  cost  $0.37^ ;  keeping  man  and 
horse  each  night  cost  $0.62^ ;  brandy,  rum,  gin,  wine  or 
cordial,  $0.25  per  pint;  whiskey  or  cider  brandy,  $0,125^ 
per  half  pint. 

Every  person  who  conducted  any  sort  of  trade  had  to 
secure  a  license  for  which  he  was  charged  from  three  to 
five  dollars. 

Another  method  of  raising  revenue  to  meet  county  ex- 
penses was  to  grant  licenses  and  to  fix  rates  for  establishing 
ferries  on  the  river. 

In  February  of  1851  an  act  was  passed  whereby  counties 
were  authorized  to  adopt  the  system  of  township  organiza- 
tion upon  a  petition  and  vote  of  the  people.  Eight  years 
later  the  County  Court  appointed  commissioners  to  divide 
the  county  into  townships.    Decatur  became  the  fifth. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  tell  of  the  early  courts  because 
one  of  the  events  of  the  year  was  court  day.  Nearly  every- 
body came  to  town  to  see  and  hear  what  was  going  on. 
There  were  no  shows  or  circuses.  When  court  closed  for 
the  day,  to  convene  the  next  day  at  six  in  the  morning,  law- 
yers, judges  and  citizens  all  got  together  in  old  taverns 
where  stories  were  told  and  conversations  held.  These 
were  said  to  be  very  entertaining,  and  no  doubt  they  were, 
since  such  m6n  as  Stephen  A.  Douglas  and  Abraham  Lin- 
coln were  among  those  who  practiced  law  at  the  Macon 
County  bar  and  became  famous  in  national  history. 

Although  it  may  seem  strange  the  log  cabin  which 
stands  in  Fairview  Park  was  Decatur's  first  court  house.  It 
was  there  that  Abraham  Lincoln  studied  law.  As  nearly  as 
can  be  found  in  the  records,  the  work  of  this  building  was 
started  about  1829.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  1830's  it  was 
replaced  by  a  brick  court  house,  so  the  years  of  actual  serv- 
ice were  few. 

It  was  supposed  to  have  stood  in  the  southeast  corner 
of  the  square,  but  the  opinions  of  the  old  settlers  differ,  and 
being  unable  to  find  anyone  who  knows  definitely  where  it 


14  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

stood,   we  will   not   state   where,   other  than   on   Lincoln 
Square. 

After  the  log  cabin  was  no  longer  of  use  as  a  court 
house,  it  was  sold  to  Robert  Allen,  who,  several  years  after- 
wards, moved  it  to  his  farm  southeast  of  Decatur.  Later 
the  land  was  bought  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  M.  Clokey,  who, 
when  they  learned  the  history  of  the  building,  turned  it 
over  to  the  Old  Settlers'  Association,  the  members  of  which 
moved  it  to  Fairview  Park.  It  still  stands  there  and  has 
been  so  repaired  that  it  may  be  used. 

The  Boy  Scouts  have  been  using  it  for  some  time  and 
the  condition  of  the  cabin  is  such  that  it  may  be  used  for 
some  years  yet. 

Decatur's  second  court  house  was  built  of  brick.  It  was 
two  stories  high  and  about  forty  feet  square.  It  stood  on 
the  southeast  corner  of  Lincoln  Square  and  was  built  be- 
tween 1838  and  1840.  It  had  a  roof  that  sloped  up  from  all 
sides  and  in  the  center  was  a  cupola  which  had  a  railing 
around  it  so  from  its  top  a  good  view  of  the  town  could 
be  seen. 

In  1870  the  need  of  a  larger  building  was  felt,  as  the 
county  had  grown  much  larger.  The  brick  court  house 
being  only  a  small  one  would  no  longer  be  of  any  use. 
Rooms  were  rented  in  the  Powers  building  and  here  a  part 
of  the  business  of  the  county  was  carried  on  until  1892, 
when  the  present  Court  House  was  occupied. 

Decatur's  present  Court  House  stands  on  the  southeast 
corner  of  Wood  and  Water  Streets.  It  was  built  of  rough 
gray  stone  in  1891,  the  cost  being  about  one  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars.  It  is  three  stories  high  and  has  a  large  tower 
on  the  corner.  The  tower,  which  is  quite  high,  offers  a  good 
view  of  the  city.  On  the  tower  is  a  clock  which  has  a  bell 
that  used  to  strike  the  hours,  but  it  is  now  out  of  repair. 

The  first  floor  is  used  mostly  for  office  purposes.  The 
most  important  offices  on  the  first  floor  are  those  of  the 
Treasurer,  the  State's  Attorney,  Overseer  of  the  Poor, 
Sheriff  and  the  Police  Department. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  15 

The  second  floor  consists  of  the  Circuit  Clerk's  office, 
the  County  Clerk's  office,  Judge  McCoy's  office,  County 
Court  room,  and  the  County  Abstract  office. 

The  third  floor  is  made  up  of  the  Circuit  Court  room,  the 
judges'  offices,  jury  rooms,  grand  jury  rooms,  and  the 
County  Superintendent's  office. 

The  large  Court  House  is  one  of  the  attractive  buildings 
of  Decatur.  The  jail  and  the  sheriff's  house  join  the  Court 
House  thus  making  it  a  very  large  building  to  look  at. 

When  one  stops  to  realize  the  importance  of  jails  as  a 
matter  of  protection  to  the  community,  and  as  a  source  for 
prevention  of  crime,  one  realizes  their  necessity. 

Decatur  as  the  county  seat  of  Macon  County  has  been 
the  site  of  three  jails.  The  first,  a  building  about  twelve  feet 
square,  with  two  rooms,  one  above  the  other,  and  of  hewed 
logs  about  twelve  inches  square,  was  erected  in  November, 
1832,  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Water  and  Prairie  streets. 
It  was  later  moved  to  the  northwest  corner  of  Wood  and 
Church  streets,  where,  four  years  after  it  was  destroyed 
by  fire. 

The  second  jail,  which  was  built  in  1843  on  the  same  cor- 
ner, was  of  brick,  two  stories  high,  and  contained  two  cells. 

The  third  one,  in  use  now,  was  built  in  1868  at  a  cost  of 
torty-five  hundred  dollars,  is  of  stone.  It  is  fifty  feet  long 
and  forty  feet  wide,  and  contained  twenty-four  cells.  Later 
a  large  addition  was  made. 

In  direct  contradiction  to  jails,  let  us  turn  briefly  to  the 
mention  of  churches. 

Following  soon  upon  the  settlement  of  Decatur  by  pio- 
neers came  churches.  Religious  services  were  held  at  first 
in  the  cabins  of  the  settlers,  at  which  time  church  societies 
were  formed,  and  these  led  to  the  founding  of  churches. 
Among  these  was  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal,  which  was 
the  first  to  be  erected.  This  one  was  followed  by  many 
others,  until  today  the  city  of  Decatur  is  reasonably  proud 
of  these  organizations  and  their  spirit  of  unity  in  the  work 
for  which  they  are  organized. 


16  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

Since  the  schools  are  to  be  considered  in  detail  elsewhere 
we  will  not  go  into  that  subject  more  than  to  say  that  from 
a  small  beginning  Decatur  has  developed  a  school  system 
of  which  it  is  justly  proud,  one  which  is  of  great  and  perma- 
nent benefit  to  our  city. 

It  must  not  be  thot  that  Decatur  prospered  from  its  be- 
ginning, for  it  is  true  that  adverses  were  met  with.  In 
1848  when  the  banks  suspended  specie  payments,  the  money 
everywhere  was  in  a  serious  state.  People  staggered  under 
great  public  debts,  shattered  homes  and  financial  ruin. 
They  were  seized  with  a  panic,  and  Decatur  was  despond- 
ent. No  new  residents  came  in  for  several  years,  and  as 
many  as  could  do  so  "took  the  trail"  for  California  in  search 
of  gold. 

In  1851,  however,  when  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
was  incorporated,  the  State  Legislature  authorized  the  con- 
struction of  a  road  from  La  Salle  to  Cairo,  with  branches, 
in  1854  this  road  was  completed  thru  Decatur,  and  soon 
open  for  traffic.  The  construction  also  of  the  now  Wabash 
Railroad  made  Decatur  a  central  point  thru  which  very 
much  traffic  began  to  pass.  Thus  it  was  that  the  town  took 
on  new  life,  as  a  result  of  the  influx  of  new  business,  new 
enterprises,  and  new  people. 

It  is  said  that  the  advancement  of  Decatur  dates  from 
the  day  on  which  the  first  train  entered  Decatur.  It  was 
really  the  commencement  of  the  city  of  Decatur,  because 
it  was  then  that  Decatur's  material  advancement  and  im- 
provement began.  Agriculture  developed  because  of  the 
opening  up  of  prairie  farms,  and  a  real  settlement  started. 
With  it  came  a  beginning  of  manufacturing  institutions,  an 
original  one  now  remaining  being  the  Mueller  Manufactur- 
ing Company.  The  Morehouse  &  Wells  establishment, 
partly  industrial  and  partly  commercial,  had  its  beginning 
in  1859.  During  this  prosperous  period  three  banks  were 
added  to  Decatur. 

As  early  as  1874,  business  men  in  Decatur  felt  positive 
that  coal  existed  here,  so  they  formed  an  association  to  dis- 
cover it.    Their  faith  proved  well  founded,  for  on  a  plot  of 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  17 

ground  in  northeast  Decatur  coal  was  discovered.  Two  or 
three  years  after,  the  JDecatur  Coal  Company  sank  a  shaft 
there,  and  later  another  on  Broadway.  Since  then  the  Ma- 
con County  Coal  Company  has  also  operated  a  shaft,  so 
that  we  have  at  least  three,  all  of  which  supply  coal  to  a 
large  territory. 

Among  the  things  of  interest  and  profit  to  Decatur  is 
the  free  public  library. 

Richard  L.  Evans  was  appointed  first  librarian  and  held 
that  position  until  his  death,  November  17,  1881.  His  wife, 
Alice  G.  Evans,  was  appointed  his  successor,  and  still  holds 
the  place. 

The  library  was  on  the  second  floor  of  the  Schroeder 
building  on  East  Prairie  Street  until  it  was  turned  over  to 
the  city,  October  5,  1881.  It  was  next  housed  in  the  Or- 
lando Powers  building  over  the  Linn  &  Scruggs  store.  In 
1889  it  was  moved  to  new  quarters  in  the  building  erected 
by  Roberts  and  Greene,  known  as  the  Library  Block,  on  the 
northeast  corner  of  North  Main  and  William  Streets.  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1892,  it  was  destroyed  by  fire. 

Temporary  quarters  were  secured  in  the  old  Presby- 
terian church  until  October  of  the  same  year,  when  the 
library  was  moved  into  the  old  quarters  in  the  Library 
Block.  On  May  11,  1898,  it  was  moved  into  the  fifth  story 
of  the  Orlando  Powers  block,  where  it  remained  until  May, 
1903,  when  it  was  transferred  to  its  present  home  in  the 
Carnegie  Building.  This  structure  was  erected  at  an  ex- 
pense of  sixty  thousand  dollars  donated  in  1901  to  the  city 
of  Decatur  by  Andrew  Carnegie,  on  the  condition  that  the 
city  appropriate  a  stipulated  sum  of  money  each  year  to  the 
support  of  the  library. 

The  transfer  house  is  one  of  the  unique  features  of 
Decatur. 

After  the  street  cars  were  changed  from  horse  cars  to 
electric  cars,  and  more  lines  were  built,  the  passengers  had 
no  place  to  wait  for  their  cars.  Lincoln  Square  being  the 
regular  transfer  place,  the  city  concluded  to  build  a  trans- 
fer house  for  two  purposes,  one  for  the  passengers  to  wait 


18  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

for  their  cars,  and  the  other  for  a  band  stand.     The  band 
gave  concerts  on  the  Lincoln  Square  at  that  time. 

An  old  watering  trough  that  was  on  Lincoln  Square 
was  removed,  and  the  transfer  house  built.  All  the  cars 
that  came  on  to  Lincoln  Square  at  that  time,  except  the 
Riverside  cars,  circled  around  the  transfer  house. 

By  having  this  building,  Decatur  has  one  of  the  best 
accommodations  for  the  public  of  any  city  I  know.  It 
would  be  greatly  missed  if  taken  away,  especially  in  the 
winter,  as  it  is  a  shelter  from  the  cold.  It  is  also  a  great 
comfort  to  women  with  little  children,  as  they  can  sit  down 
and  rest  while  waiting  for  their  cars. 

My  informant  has  been  in  many  large  cities,  and  says 
he  has  never  been  in  a  city  where  they  have  the  convenience 
for  changing  street  cars  that  is  in  Decatur.  Since  there  are 
so  many  cars  and  so  much  travel  on  Lincoln  Square,  a  band 
stand  has  been  erected  in  Central  Park,  and  the  transfer 
house  is  not  used  for  concerts  any  more. 

The  Pratt  Cereal  Oil  Mill  Company  was  organized  in 
1902  in  Decatur.  It  had  a  stock  of  four  hundred  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars  for  the  purpose  of  extracting  oil  from  corn. 
The  plant  had  five  buildings  in  Decatur,  in  the  east  part 
of  the  city,  having  a  frontage  on  the  Wabash  railroad.  The 
group  of  buildings  was  second  only  to  the  Millikin  Uni- 
versity. It  was  the  first  cereal  oil  mill  in  the  United  States. 
The  buildings  covered  about  two  blocks.  One  hundred 
cars  of  machinery  were  placed  in  the  plant.  Two  miles  of 
pipe  and  four  hundred  fifty  valves  were  used.  They  had  a 
storage  room  where  one  hundred  thousand  gallons  of  oil 
and  one  hundred  thousand  gallons  of  naphtha  were  stored. 
The  output  a  day  was  twenty-five  thousand  gallons  of  oil 
and  three  hundred  tons  of  feed.  The  raw  material  used  is 
the  waste  from  the  hominy  mills;  also  the  hominy  chips 
and  the  germ  are  used.  The  hominy  chip  has  about  one 
hundred  per  cent  oil  and  the  germ  two  hundred  forty  per 
cent  oil.  Three  hundred  tons  of  waste  are  consumed  every 
day.  The  oil  is  extracted  from  the  corn  by  grinding,  then 
steeping  it  in  a  solvent  that  assimilates  the  corn  from  the 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  19 


oil.  The  corn  oil  is  separated  from  the  solution  by  distilla- 
tion. The  solvent  is  condensed  and  stored  while  the  corn 
oil  is  passed  through  filter  presses  to  take  away  the  starch 
and  other  substances.  It  is  then  ready  for  use.  The  oil  is 
used  in  paint,  soaps  and  in  making  salads. 

The  first  cross-wire  check  rower  was  made  and  patented 
by  George  D.  Haworth.  The  Chambers,  Bering  &  Quinlan 
Company  first  manufactured  it.  It  has  proven  successful  as 
a  mechanical  device  and  as  a  money  maker. 

The  first  planing  mill  was  located  at  546  East  Cerro 
Gordo  Street.  It  was  owned  by  George  S.  Lyon.  A  few 
years  ago  the  building  was  destroyed  by  fire.  A  new  build- 
ing was  erected  made  of  bricks.  It  was  two  stories  high 
and  covered  thirty  thousand  three  hundred  twenty-four  feet. 
It  extends  to  the  Wabash  railroad  and  faces  North  Broad- 
way and  Cerro  Gordo  Streets.  Later  a  brick  wall  one  story 
high  was  built  around  the  entire  yard.  The  firm  manufac- 
tures sashes,  doors,  window  casings  and  furnishing  for 
stores  and  public  buildings.  It  has  the  latest  machinery, 
five  wagons,  and  employs  fifty  men. 

The  first  opera  house  was  situated  in  the  one  hundred 
block  on  Merchant  Street.  It  was  called  Macon  Hall  and 
seated  between  four  and  five  hundred  people,  and  had  a 
stage  and  scenery.  It  soon  became  too  small  for  the  city 
and  in  1869  the  Smith's  Opera  House  was  built  on  Water 
Street.  This  also  soon  became  too  small,  so  in  1888  they 
decided  to  build  a  larger  and  a  finer  opera  house.  The 
Powers  Grand  Opera  House  was  built  in  the  one  hundred 
block.  South  Water,  and  seated  about  one  thousand  six 
hundred  people.  Following  the  destruction  by  fire  of  the 
Powers  Building,  the  present  theater  was  constructed  on 
North  Main  Street.  It  has  been  the  scene  of  many  famous 
plays  by  equally  famous  players. 

Decatur  has  had  many  bad  fires.  The  most  costly  one 
as  far  as  anyone  knows  was  the  Powers  fire,  the  time  the 
entire  Powers  block  burned.  This  happened  April  17,  1914. 
about   midnight.     The  whole  block  was   destroyed   and   a 


20  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


handsome  one  has  been  rebuilt.  Linn  and  Scruggs  is  now 
located  in  the  block  and  also  the  Orlando  Hotel. 

Although  there  were  many  other  fires,  such  as  More- 
house &  Wells'  fire,  which  happened  in  the  year  1910,  the 
Decatur  and  Arcade  hotels  burned  in  April,  1915,  just  one 
year  later  than  that  of  the  Powers  block.  It  seemed  rather 
strange  to  have  the  two  fires  come  just  one  year  apart.  The 
only  thing  that  saved  the  other  buildings  in  the  block  in 
which  the  Decatur  Hotel  was,  was  that  they  were  fireproof 
and  stood  the  test.  It  seemed  a  miracle.  Later  there  were 
other  fires.    The  Scovill  fire  is  the  only  important  one  so  far. 

Since  the  Powers  block  and  the  Decatur  and  Arcade  ho- 
tel fires  were  the  largest,  I  will  discuss  them  first.  The 
cause  of  the  Powers  fire  was  never  found  out,  but  many  be- 
lieve incendiarism  to  be  the  cause  of  the  fire.  The  whole 
block  was  completely  destroyed.  Linn  and  Scruggs',  in  the 
Powers  block,  has  been  destroyed  by  fire  three  times.  They 
were  first  located  on  Lincoln  Square ;  later  they  moved  to 
the  site  where  they  now  are.  The  Powers  block  is  located 
one  block  east  of  the  transfer  house  on  the  southeast  corner. 
The  Orlando  Hotel  is  on  the  opposite  corner.  The  Powers 
Theatre  was  also  located  in  that  block  before  it  burned.  It 
was  the  only  opera  house  in  town,  but  when  it  burned  the 
hotel  was  built  in  its  place.  The  Lincoln  Square  Theatre 
is  now  where  the  Arcade  and  Decatur  hotels  were,  on  North 
Main  Street.  The  time  before  the  last  fire  at  Linn  and 
Scruggs',  the  goods  were  hauled  while  the  building  was 
burning,  in  wagons.  The  people  that  lived  across  the  street 
from  the  fire  were  constantly  out  with  their  hoses  watching 
if  any  burning  articles  fell  on  the  house  and  caught  fire. 
The  last  Powers  fire  caused  many  other  fires  from  articles 
sent  into  the  air  from  the  pressure  of  the  walls  falling  in. 
They  would  sail  out  over  the  city,  burning  and  falling  on 
houses,  catching  the  roofs  on  fire. 

The  Arcade  and  Decatur  hotels  were  caught  on  fire 
about  eleven  or  twelve  o'clock  at  night.  A  carnival  was  in 
town  at  that  time  and  a  carnival  man  was  coming  in  to  his 
room.     When  he  reached  the  hotel  it  was  in  blazes.     He 


_^ CITY    OF    DECATUR 21 

quickly  called  the  fire  department.  They  think  the  fire  was 
caused  by  an  explosion,  though  no  one  knows  for  sure.  It 
burned  rapidly  and  by  two  o'clock  the  fire  was  still  worse 
than  ever.  Burning  boards  and  articles  were  sent  sailing 
through  the  air.  These  falling  caused  many  people  to 
worry,  but  a  slight  rain  came  in  the  early  morning  and  peo- 
ple ceased  to  worry.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  was  badly 
damaged,  as  the  rear  end  came  up  behind  the  hotels.  The 
articles  such  as  shingles,  tar  roofing  and  other  things  in 
the  yard  were  in  great  quantities  and  everything  was  cov- 
ered with  them.  The  only  thing  that  saved  the  rest  of  the 
buildings  in  that  block  is  that  they  were  fireproof.  The  way 
they  stood  amidst  the  flames  was  wonderful  and  a  great 
relief  to  the  owners.  Bachman's  store  was  the  one  that 
stood  the  test  and  in  the  morning  at  eight  the  store  was 
open  for  business. 

The  Scovill  fire  was  in  September,  1917.  It  was  a  one- 
store  fire,  but  it  seemed  as  though  it  was  caged  in.  It  was 
the  only  building  in  the  block  that  burned.  It  was  started 
on  Sunday  night,  supposedly  by  some  one  in  the  basement 
vSunday  evening  with  a  lighted  candle.  He  threw  the  lighted 
match  into  a  box  of  excelsior  which  is  supposed  to  have 
been  the  cause  of  the  fire.  It  burned  from  the  basement 
up  thru  the  middle  of  the  building  and  all  the  furniture  in 
the  floors  above  fell  into  the  basement,  one  piece  on  top  of 
the  other.  The  walls  did  not  fall  and  part  of  the  roof  re- 
mained. 

The  basement  was  submerged  in  ten  or  twelve  feet  of 
water  and  it  took  hours  to  draw  the  water  out  so  they 
could  get  to  things.  They  brought  out  much  slightly  dam- 
aged furniture  and  Scovill's  kept  business  up  with  fire  sales 
until  the  building  was  constructed. 

Fires  are  slowly  dying  out  now  and  there  have  been  no 
important  ones  since  Scovill's  fire. 

Decatur's  citizens  never  failed  to  respond  when  there 
was  a  call  "to  arms." 

In  the  Black  Hawk  war,  patriotic  citizens  responded  to 
the  Governor's  call  and  enlisted  both  to  protect  the  frontier 


22  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

and  to  preserve  the  honor  of  the  state.  They  left  Decatur 
on  June  4,  1832,  and  went  into  camp  on  the  site  where 
Monticello,  Illinois,  now  stands.  From  there  they  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Indian  village  of  Kickapoo,  which  they  found 
deserted.  As  they  had  enlisted  for  only  sixty  days  they  re- 
turned home,  tho  they  w€re  instructed  to  hold  themselves 
in  readiness.  However,  after  one  hundred  thirteen  days  of 
service,  they  were  discharged,  each  man  receiving  for  his 
services  fifty-two  dollars  and  one  hundred  sixty  acres  of 
land. 

When  war  was  declared  by  Mexico  in  May,  1846,  again 
the  call  for  volunteers  came,  and  again  our  citizens  re- 
sponded. A  company  was  formed — Company  C — which 
marched  from  Decatur  to  Springfield  in  June,  1846,  where  a 
regiment  was  formed.  From  there  they  went  to  Alton, 
thence  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  where  they  were  thoroughly 
disciplined  and  drilled.  After  being  moved  numerous  times 
they  were  ordered  to  Vera  Cruz  in  February,  1847,  where 
they  assisted  in  constructing  batteries  and  bombarding  that 
city,  which  surrendered  March  29,  1847.  They  then  marched 
lor  the  City  of  Mexico,  met  Santa  Anna  en  route  and  fought 
a  battle.  Eventually  Company  C  returned  home  by  way 
of  New  Orleans  and  St.  Louis,  arriving  June  1,  1847,  bring- 
ing with  them  a  banner  which  our  citizens  had  given  them 
when  they  left.  Upon  their  arrival  home  they  were  greeted 
— as  war  heroes  should  be — with  great  enthusiasm. 

Of  course  the  Civil  War  reached  Decatur,  and  a  few 
of  its  veterans  are  still  with  us  to  tell  us  of  its  horrors,  hard- 
ships and  results.  War  was  declared,  as  we  know,  by  Presi- 
dent Lincoln,  as  a  last  resort,  to  save  the  Union,  and  when 
the  call  for  volunteers  came  Decatur  was  not  behind  in 
doing  its  share.  And  when  at  last  the  struggle  was  over, 
and  the  South  and  laid  down  her  arms,  in  the  city  of  Deca- 
tur a  band  of  patriotic  veterans  of  the  Civil  War  met  and 
organized  what  is  called  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

They  had  learned  the  lessons  the  war  had  taught  and 
wished  to  impress  them  upon  the  minds  of  the  people  so 
that  they  never  would  be  forgotten. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR 23 

On  the  morning  of  April  — ,  1866,  the  people  were 
greatly  puzzled  on  seeing  the  letters  G.  A.  R.  in  many  win- 
dows. A  dozen  men  or  more  smiled  to  themselves  because 
of  the  wonder  they  had  created. 

On  the  preceding  night  they  had  met  at  253  South  Park 
Street,  Decatur,  and  made  that  their  headquarters.  When 
these  mysterious  letters  appeared  the  dozen  men  who  had 
smiled  to  themselves  explained  to  the  people  that  this  was 
the  name  of  an  organization  which  consisted  of  twelve  mem- 
bers—J.  W.  Bishop,  J.  W.  Routh,  John  H.  Hale,  C.  Rieb- 
same.  A,  Toland,  M.  F.  Kanan,  George  H.  Dunning,  Col. 
S.  C.  Pugh,  Joseph  M.  Prior,  I.  N.  Coltrin,  George  R.  Steele 
and  Dr.  B.  F.  Sibley.  These  men  were  the  only  members 
at  that  time. 

The  idea  of  thus  organizing  was  to  unite  the  soldiers  of 
the  Union  into  a  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  This  was 
to  protect  peace,  as  the  soldiers  had  protected  the  nation's 
rights. 

Benjamin  Franklin  Stephenson,  who  had  been  a  surgeon 
in  the  army,  organized  the  G.  A.  R.  April  6,  1866,  and  gave 
it  its  name. 

In  1868,  the  G.  A.  R.  of  Decatur  was  broken  up  and  one 
by  one  the  members  dropped  out.  The  reason  was  General 
Grant,  the  greatest  officer  of  the  army,  was  running  for  the 
presidency.  DiJfferent  men  had  different  opinions  and  pol- 
itics were  brought  into  the  G.  A.  R. 

In  1882  it  was  reorganized  and  named  after  Amos  Dun- 
ham because  he  was  the  first  man  of  Macon  County  to  lose 
his  life  in  the  Civil  War.  The  organization  was  prosperous 
and  had  seven  hundred  and  fifty  members. 

When  all  the  G.  A.  R.  organizations  in  the  state  had  dis- 
banded, Rockford  was  the  only  one  whose  organization  had 
kept  together.  So  when  the  others  started  to  organize  again 
Rockford  was  given  the  number  Post  1.  Where  before  De- 
catur had  been  Post  1,  now  it  was  called  Dunham  Post  No. 
141.    What  was  Decatur's  loss  was  Rockford's  gain. 

In  two  years'  time  the  G.  A.  R.  of  Decatur  increased 
from  twelve  members  to  eighty  members- 


24  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

In  1890,  which  was  called  "Banner  Year,"  the  total  mem- 
bership was  four  hundred  nine  thousand  four  hundred  fifty- 
nine. 

When  the  fiftieth  anniversary  was  observed  in  1916,  in 
the  city  of  Decatur,  there  were  less  than  one  hundred  and 
seventy-one  thousand  three  hundred  and  thirty  members. 

But  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  did  not  grant  surcease 
from  war.  When  our  nation  was  aroused  to  activity  to 
avenge  Spain's  insult  to  the  nation's  flag  by  the  destruction 
of  the  warship  Maine  in  the  harbor  of  Havana  in  1898, 
troops  which  were  called  for  by  President  McKinley  re- 
sponded nobly  and  performed  excellent  service  for  their 
country.  It  was  at  that  time  that  we  learned  to  know  with 
pride  our  Company  H,  and  these  were  the  boys  who  helped 
to  free  Cuba  from  the  galling  yoke  of  Spanish  tyranny ! 

When  the  World  War  came  on,  again  it  fell  to  us  to 
take  up  arms  in  behalf  of  humanity,  and  once  more  our 
heroes  went  out  from  Decatur  to  enter  into  a  struggle  to 
make  democracy  safe.  We  know  with  what  honor  they  ac- 
quitted themselves,  how  they  lifted  the  torch  high,  how 
they  kept  faith  with  those  who  died!  Our  Honor  Roll 
board,  erected  on  the  west  side  of  Central  Park  facing  the 
street,  that  all  who  look  may  read,  constantly  keeps  in  our 
minds  these  boys. 

It  is  only  a  small  token  of  appreciation  shown  by  the 
city  of  Decatur  and  Macon  County  for  the  boys  who  were 
willing  to  lay  down  their  lives  that  we  might  have  peace 
and  freedom. 

The  city  has  also  placed  electric  lights  on  the  board  so 
it  can  easily  be  seen  after  night.  Our  park  superintendent 
has  a  beautiful  Red  Cross  out  of  red  foliages  in  front  of  the 
board  to  add  more  to  the  beauty  of  the  location  and  to  the 
meaning. 

There  is  a  gold  star  placed  at  the  end  of  each  name  of 
those  who  lost  their  lives  while  serving  in  the  service  of 
the  United  States  of  AmxCrica.  Not  all  of  the  names  of  the 
Decatur  and  Macon  County  boys  who  served  in  the  United 
States  service  are  on  the  board  because  it  was  not  large 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  25 

enough.  The  names  are  placed  in  alphabetical  order,  so  if 
you  have  a  relative  or  friend  whose  name  is  on  the  roll,  you 
may  easily  find  it  in  a  very  short  time. 

There  are  hundreds  of  people  a  day  who  stop  and  look  at 
the  board,  to  many  of  whom  a  glance  at  a  name  brings  great 
memories. 

We  are  proud  of  our  Honor  Roll  and  prouder  of  our 
boys,  but  we  hope  we  will  never  have  to  erect  another  for 
the  cause  of  war! 

During  the  Civil  War  the  Decatur  Hospital  Aid  Society 
had  been  meeting  one  day  each  week  to  sew  for  the  soldiers. 

They  were  awakened  to  the  new  work  ahead  of  them  by 
a  note  sent  to  Mrs.  Johns  by  Mrs.  Slaughter  of  the  Depot 
Hotel  saying  that  in  thirty  minutes  fifty  hungry,  sick  and 
wounded  soldiers  would  arrive  at  the  station. 

Messenger  boys  were  sent  all  over  town  with  notes  tell- 
ing the  ladies  to  be  at  the  depot  by  five  o'clock  with  baskets 
of  food  for  the  soldiers.  Tin  cups  were  borrowed  from  the 
hardware  store  and  two  pounds  of  genuine  coffee  were 
bought. 

By  five  o'clock  there  were  about  thirty  women  at  the 
station  with  hot  buttered  rolls,  cold  meats,  pies,  cakes, 
pickles  and  gallons  of  milk  and  cream  for  the  soldiers.  A 
telegram  had  been  sent  to  Centralia  requesting  that  the 
soldiers  would  not  leave  their  seats  when  the  train  arrived 
in  Decatur. 

When  the  train  arrived  in  Decatur  two  ladies  passed 
down  the  aisle  with  tin  cups  followed  by  two  more  with 
cofifee.  Other  ladies  followed  these  with  milk,  cream  and 
sugar.     Then  the  food  was  passed. 

A  meeting  of  the  Aid  Society  was  held  and  seventeen 
dollars  was  appropriated  to  buy  food  for  appeasing  the 
hunger  of  the  sick  soldiers  passing  through  the  city.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  see  to  the  expenditure  of  it. 

It  was  soon  seen  that  the  work  could  not  go  on  smoothly 
unless  it  was  systematized,  so  a  committee  was  organized 
to  bring  order  out  of  chaos. 


26  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

One  of  the  first  things  they  did  was  to  make  arrange- 
ments with  the  station  master  to  telegraph  the  number  of 
soldiers  coming.  This  notice  was  sent  to  Mrs.  Hayes  and 
the  arrangements  were  made  accordingly. 

The  committee  also  bought  two  sacks  of  flour.  One  of 
these  was  sent  to  Mrs.  Winholtz  for  yeast  bread,  and  the 
other  was  sent  to  Mrs.  Hayes,  who  always  had  luck  with 
salt  rising.  These  ladies  pledged  themselves  to  supply  the 
bread.  Cofifee,  sugar  and  butter  were  bought  and  stored  in 
a  vacant  room  in  the  hotel.  Three  dozen  tin  cups,  a  five 
gallon  coffee  pot,  six  pitchers,  and  a  box  of  tin  spoons  were 
donated.  Ten  quires  of  heavy  brown  paper  were  bought 
and  cut  into  squares  to  serve  as  plates.  Mrs.  Slaughter 
always  had  boiling  water  on  hand  and  a  committee  made 
the  coffee  and  buttered  the  bread.  The  town  was  divided 
into  four  sections,  each  in  turn  furnishing  the  "extras." 

1917-18 

The  Canteen  Service  for  the  World  War  period  was  or- 
ganized in  Decatur  by  Mrs.  Dr.  Dudley,  but  when  she  left 
town  Mr.  Culver  was  made  president.  It  was  organized  un- 
der the  Red  Cross  and  the  food,  cups,  etc.,  were  paid  for  out 
of  the  funds  of  the  Red  Cross. 

The  ladies  were  divided  up  into  squads,  each  having  its 
own  turns  serving  the  soldiers.  And  be  it  said  to  their  glory 
that  they  performed  their  duties  and  stuck  to  their  posts 
like  soldiers! 

A  history  of  Decatur  to  be  complete  should  contain  some 
mention  of  those  pioneer  settlers  who  not  only  helped  to 
preserve  the  nation's  honor,  or  served  the  country  in  some 
capacity.  Indeed,  there  are  few  who  did  not  do  the  latter. 
We  have  to  our  credit  those  who  became  historically  fa- 
mous, chief  amongst  whom  are  Abraham  Lincoln,  so  right- 
fully called  "a  masterpiece  of  God" ;  Richard  J.  Oglesby, 
who  served  as  major-general  in  the  Civil  War,  as  a  United 
States  Senator,  and  three  times  as  Governor  of  Illinois; 
General  Isaac  C.  Pugh,  hero  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  the 
Mexican  War  and  the  Civil  War;  General  J^sse  H.  Moore, 


CITY    OF    DECATUR 


27 


who  earned  the  rank  of  brigadier,  given  him  by  President 
Lincoln  in  April,  1865,  for  "gallant  and  meritorious  service 
on  the  field  of  battle." 

As  to  the  latter,  there  were  many  of  them — lawyers,  doc- 
tors, preachers,  school  teachers,  office  holders,  merchants, 
shoemakers,  tailors,  cabinet  makers — all  of  whom  served  in 
the  comfort  of  the  people  and  the  development  of  Decatur, 
which  is  now  a  thriving  city  with  a  population  close  to 
fifty  thousand,  all  of  whom  are  engaged  in  pursuits  which 
will  tend  to  make  our  city  continue  to  progress. 


PAUL   CAfYlPBELL    7A '20 


30  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

By  this  time  the  school  population  had  greatly  increased 
so  that  it  was  necessary  to  rent  the  basements  of  the  ♦Meth- 
odist, Presbyterian  and  Baptist  churches.  In  1862  Enoch 
A.  Gastman  was  elected  principal  of  the  schools.  He  re- 
ceived $80  per  month  for  a  term  of  six  months. 

In  1862  it  was  voted  to  purchase  the  ground  for  a  new 
building  and  levy  a  tax  of  twenty-five  cents  on  every  one 
hundred  dollars.  Plans  were  made  to  build  a  two-room 
schoolhouse  on  the  corner  of  Wood  and  College,  but  on  ac- 
count of  the  unsettled  conditions  of  the  country,  it  was 
postponed  until  the  following  year.  This  was  known  as 
the  Wood  Street  School. 

July  8,  1863,  it  was  voted  to  extend  the  school  term  to 
nine  months.  One  hundred  twenty-nine  were  in  favor,  and 
six  were  against. 

In  1863  the  High  School,  which  had  been  held  in  the 
lower  east  room  of  the  Church  St.  School,  was  moved  to 
the  basement  of  the  Baptist  Church,  where  it  remained  for 
six  years. 

In  1864  the  Jones  School  was  erected  and  later  in  1911 
replaced  by  the  Oglesby  School. 

In  1865  General  Isaac  C.  Pugh  presented  a  bill  in  the 
legislature  making  Decatur  a  real  school  district.  It  was 
approved  by  Governor  Oglesby,  February  16,  1865.  The 
next  step  was  to  elect  a  Board  of  Education  for  the  new 
Decatur  School  District.  This  was  done  April  4,  1865, 
when  David  P.  Bunn,  William  L.  Hammar  and  C.  C.  Bur- 
roughs were  elected.  Jerome  R.  Gorin  was  appointed 
treasurer  and  E.  A,  Gastman  clerk. 

In  1866  two  rooms  of  the  Jackson  St.  School  were  built. 
This  was  the  first  school  ordered  to  be  built  by  the  Board 
of  Education. 

The  new  board  was  willing  to  learn  the  needs  of  a  city 
system  and  this  year  they  allowed  the  superintendent  to 


*The  old  Methodist  Church  stood  where  Gushard's  Dry  Goods  Store  now  is, 
on  the  northwest  comer  of  Water  and  William;  the  Presbyterian  where  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  now  is,  on  the  southeast  comer  of  Church  and  Prairie,  and  the  Baptist 
where  the  Liberty  restaurant  now  is,  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Water  and 
William. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  31 

spend  money  for  ink,  books  for  *poor  children  and  globes. 
Three  years  later  they  furnished  pens  and  penholders.  In 
1875  they  furnished  examination  paper  and  in  1888  drawing 
paper. 

In  1867  the  first  two  rooms  of  the  Sangamon  School 
were  built.  In  the  same  year  the  first  class  of  four  girls 
graduated  from  the  High  School.  Less  than  one  hundred 
people  attended  these  first  graduation  exercises,  but  this 
created  a  deeper  interest  in  education. 

At  this  time  American  History  was  introduced  into  the 
schools. 

In  1868  Rev.  Soules  was  employed  to  teach  music  in 
the  High  School  at  one  dollar  a  lesson  and  two  lessons  a 
week.  This  was  the  beginning  of  music  in  the  schools. 
This  experiment  was  unsuccessful  until  in  1872  when 
Blackmen's  graded  song  books  were  introduced. 

In  1868  plans  for  a  new  high  school  were  made,  and  the 
following  year  the  building  was  erected.  The  first  session 
began  in  1869  with  three  teachers  in  charge — E.  A.  Gast- 
man,  Mary  W.  French  and  Miss  Sargent. 

During  the  first  five  years  the  Board  of  Education  had 
been  constantly  realizing  the  needs  of  the  school  system 
and  had  built  two  ward  schools  and  one  high  school,  be- 
sides furnishing  better  equipment.  They  also  had  enlarged 
the  course  of  study. 

In  1871  the  course  of  study  was  extended  in  the  High 
School  to  four  years,  and  no  one  graduated  this  year. 

In  1880  the  first  two  rooms  of  the  Warren  St.  School 
were  erected.  Two  years  later  the  first  four  rooms  of  the 
Jasper  St.  School  were  built,  and  four  years  later  the  first 
four  rooms  of  the  Marietta  St.  School  were  erected.  This 
same  year  telephones  were  installed  in  Sangamon,  Church 
and  Jasper  St.  schools. 

The  next  year  additions  were  made  to  the  Jackson, 
Wood  and  Marietta  St.  Schools. 

In  1887  Prang's  drawing  books  were  introduced  and 
four  years  later  Mrs.  L.  L.  Miller  was  employed  to  super- 
vise drawing. 


'Five  dollars  was  the  most  he  could  spend  for  books. 


32  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


In  1888  the  truant  law  was  first  enforced  and  each 
parent  was  notified  that  he  must  keep  his  children  in 
school  or  be  fined. 

During  this  same  year  all  wells  were  ordered  to  be 
closed  up  except  Jackson,  which  was  to  have  city  water 
as  soon  as  possible. 

In  1891  Miss  Elizabeth  Kniper,  the  first  music  super- 
visor, was  employed. 

In  1892  the  contract  for  the  building  of  H.  B.  Durfee 
was-  given  and  in  1893  and  1894  additions  were  made  to 
Warren  and  Jasper.  In  1895  and  1896  contracts  were 
given  for  the  Pugh  and  Oakland  Schools  and  six  rooms 
were  added  to  the  old  High  School. 

In  1896  the  first  drawing  exhibit  was  held,  which  in- 
creased the  interest  in  the  new  subject  and  made  them  think 
it  was  worth  while. 

In  1898  physical  training  was  first  introduced  and  Mrs. 
Jeanette  L.  Tyler,  now  Mrs.  Gille,  was  the  first  teacher. 

In  1899  an  addition  was  made  to  H.  B.  Durfee. 

By  1900  there  were  two  four-room  buildings,  two  six- 
room  buildings,  two  eight-room  buildings  and  High  School, 
all  having  telephones,  city  water,  steam  heat  and  single 
seats.  The  schools  had  grown  very  much  and  it  was  more 
than  Mr.  Gastman  could  do  to  handle  both  the  business 
side  and  educational  side,  so  Miss  Flora  B.  Smith  was 
employed  as  supervisor  of  primary  grades. 

In  1901  Mr.  Gastman  was  elected  superintendent  for 
his  fortieth  year.  At  this  time  he  would  have  resigned, 
but  the  citizens  and  the  board  urged  him  to  stay.  He 
was  willing  to  accept  on  one  condition,  that  either  he  or 
the  board  could  end  his  engagement  at  any  time. 

In  1903  the  E.  A.  Gastman  School  was  planned  to  re- 
place the  old  Church  Street  School,  and  named  in  honor 
of  Mr.  Gastman. 

*In  1903  Mr.  Owen  was  appointed  trUant  officer.  He 
served  two  years  and  Mr.  Shick  took  his  place  in  1905. 


*We  could  find  no  report  of  a  truant  officer  before  this  time.     It  is  thought 
that   there   was  one. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  33 

At  this  time  manual  training  was  first  introduced.  In 
the  same  year  the  West  Main  Street  School,  which  was 
later  replaced  by  the  Dennis  School,  became  the  property 
of  the  Decatur  District.  The  following  year  the  contract 
for  the  Riverside  School  was  given. 

In  1907,  after  a  term  of  forty-five  years,  Mr.  Gastman 
resigned,  and  Mr.  H.  B.  Wilson  was  appointed  to  take 
his  place.  Not  many  men  have  had  the  opportunity  to 
watch  one  school  system  grow  for  such  a  length  of  time. 
During  these  many  years  he  had  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
future  school  system. 

Owing  to  the  sudden  death  of  Mr.  Gastman,  August 
3,  1907,  Mr.  Wilson  had  to  assume  his  duties  much  sooner 
than  he  expected.  At  the  end  of  the  year  Mr.  Wilson 
said  in  his  written  report  that  "Mr.  Gastman's  work  was 
so  well  organized  and  unified  that  the  schools  would  have 
continued  doing  good  strong  work  for  some  time  without 
a  superintendent." 

One  of  the  first  things  Mr.  Wilson  did  was  to  improve 
the  course  of  study.  His  aim  was  to  leave  out  all  unneces- 
sary points  in  the  course  and  emphasize  the  useful  points 
which  would  be  of  help  to  the  pupils  in  the  future.  He 
began  by  appointing  a  committee  of  teachers  to  revise  the 
English  course. 

He  also  thought  that  boys  and  girls  should  be  taught 
how  to  study,  how  to  think  for  themselves  and  how  to 
express  their  thoughts  more  clearly.  In  order  to  do  this 
he  believed  that  every  child  should  have  a  good  motive* 
to  work  for. 

At  the  same  time  he  encouraged  the  teachers  to  do 
advanced  study.  During  the  year  seven  teachers  took  ex- 
tension work  and  the  next  summer  eighteen  took  summer 
work.  The  following  year  forty-eight  had  taken  advanced 
work  and  thirty-six  had  visited  other  schools.  It  was  only 
fair  that  the  teachers  should  receive  more  salary  as  a  re- 
sult of  their  efforts  to  progress,  therefore  he  began  to 
arrange    a    salary    schedule,    depending    on    the    length    of 


"This   was   called    motivation. 


34  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

time  spent  in  study  and  the  kind  of  teaching  done.  This 
was  put  in  force  in  1910. 

In  1907  the  Civic  Improvement  League  was  organized 
in  the  High  School  to  arouse  interest  in  parks,  playgrounds, 
clean  streets  and  alleys,  and  in  the  building  of  more  attrac- 
tive homes. 

In  1908  the  course  in  the  grades  was  lengthened  from 
seven  years  to  eight  years.  This  was  the  beginning  of 
the  Departmental  School,^  which  is  now  Junior  High. 
This  year  a  special  room^  for  defective  and  backward 
children  was  opened  at  Jackson. 

September  24,  1908,  Mrs.  E.  A.  Gastman  presented  to 
the  Board  of  Education  Mr.  Gastman's  library  of  two 
hundred  twenty-seven  volumes  and  thirty-seven  documents. 
Later  on  there  were  thirty-eight  volumes  added  and  eight 
documents. 

In  1910  improvements  and  additions  were  made  to  Pugh, 
Warren  and  Grammar  Grade  Departmental.  The  Dennis 
School  was  completed  and  the  corner  stone  of  the  new 
High  School  was  laid  in  May.  In  June  of  this  year  Mr. 
J.  F.  Roach  resigned  from  the  Board  of  Education  and 
later  was  appointed  the  first  business  manager  of  the 
schools. 

In  1911  and  1912  the  total  amount  paid  out  for  improve- 
ments, additions  and  equipment  was  $498,791.70. 

During  the  same  year  Miss  Jenkins  was  appointed  super- 
visor of  the  Elementary  Grades.  Miss  Smith  had  been 
made  supervisor  of  hand  work  in  the  Primary  Grades. 

At  this  time  Vocational  Discovery  was  added  to  the 
Junior  High  course. 

May  29  to  June  1,  1912,  the  first  large  annual  exhibit 
of  public  school  work  was  held. 

In  1911  and  1912  the  Board  planned  improvements  in 
ventilation,  lighting,  heating,  and  seating.     More  attention 


1  Departmental    was   first    opened    in    the    Shellabarger   house — now    the    High 
School  annex. 

2By    1920   there   were    four   of  these   rooms,   one   at    Gastman,   one   at  Jackson, 
one  at  Durfee,  and  one  at   High  .School. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  35 

was  given  to  the  physical  side  of  school  life.  Children 
were  taught  the  value  of  sleeping,  eating,  cleanliness  and 
sensible  clothing.  Athletics,  proper  playgrounds  and  play 
apparatus  were  emphasized.  They  did  not  stop  with  this, 
but  in  1910  the  Board  engaged  Mrs.  McKee  as  supervisor 
of  hygiene.  Her  business  was  to  visit  the  schools  and 
homes  and  to  inspect  and  help  in  any  way  necessary. 

Her  report  for  the  first  year  shows : 

128  schools  visited 

330  homes  visited 

110  children  treated  in  the  clinic 

17  operations  for  adenoids 
9  operations  for  tonsils 
466  treatments  for  tonsils 
240  ear  treatments 
812  eye  treatments 

72  nose  treatments 

40  children  fitted  with  glasses 
Total  was  1,590  treatments. 

*This  was  called  by  a  citizen  the  "biggest  little  work 
in  Decatur."  It  has  continued  to  grow  and  in  1913  and 
1914  the  entire  management  of  the  clinic  work  was  turned 
over  to  the  Board  of  Education. 

In  June,  1912,  Mr.  Wilson  resigned  after  serving  six 
years,  and  Mr.  J.  O.  Engleman  was  appointed  to  take  his 
place. 

Mr.  Engleman  began  by  continuing  the  work  of  re- 
vising the  Course  of  Study.  He  appointed  committees  of 
teachers  to  do  this. 

He  also  encouraged  teachers  to  take  advanced  work 
and  in  1913  and  1914  forty-eight  teachers  took  summer 
work.  The  next  year  the  number  increased  to  sixty-three 
doing  summer  work  and  thirty-six  doing  extension  work 
during  the  school  year. 


*Before  the  clinic  had  been  managed  by  the  King's  Daughters  of  the  Baptist 
Church,   who  had  organized  the  work  in   1906. 


36  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


Three  sewing  centers  were  established  at  Roach,  War- 
ren and  French.  Special  classes  in  bench  work  for  over 
age  and  overgrown  boys  were  ^started  at  Gastman. 

In  1914  the  first  May  Fete  was  given  at  Fairview  park 
with  one  thousand  five  hundred  children  taking  part. 

^At  this  time  the  first  school  paper  was  printed,  motion 
pictures  were  introduced  into  the  schools  and  agriculture 
was  added  to  the  High  School  course.  The  first  penman- 
ship supervisor,  Miss  Chapman,  was  employed. 

In  May,  1915,  the  second  May  Fete  was  held  at  Fair- 
view  park.  This  time  three  thousand  two  hundred  chil- 
dren took  part. 

The  first  summer  school  was  started  this  year.  The 
High  School  department  enrolled  fifty-two  and  the  grades 
fifteen.  The  next  year,  the  enrollment  had  grown  to  ninety- 
seven  in  the  High  School  and  thirty-six  in  the  grades. 
Later  in  1917  and  1918  night  school  was  opened  at  Durfee. 

Improvements  in  buildings  and  grounds  were  continued. 

The  total  value  of  improvements  and  additions  for  1914- 
15  amounted  to  $89,096.32. 

In  1915  better  English  was  again  emphasized.  This 
later  in  1919  developed  into  "Better  English  Week." 

This  year  more  attention  was  given  to  the  beautifying 
of  the  school  grounds,  by  planting,  graveling  and  sodding. 

The  last  few  years  have  been  taken  up  with  war  activi- 
ties. ^*With  Mr.  Engleman  as  our  leader,  we  organized 
18  Junior  Auxiliaries  of  the  Red  Gross.  There  were  6,857 
members  and  the  total  amount  earned  and  collected  was 
$2002.42.  ^*We  made  125  surgical  dressings,  597  story 
books  for  hospitals,  336  pocket  checkerboards,  800  needle, 
pin  and  thread  cases,  besides  sweaters,  wristlets,  socks, 
quilts.  At  Jackson  50  rag  rugs  were  made  and  the  profits 
used  for  Red  Gross  memberships. 


1  Later  three   other  classes   were   formed   at    Durfee,   Junior   High   and    Fligh. 
The   same  thing  is  being  planned   for  in   the  girls'   sewing. 

2Review   printed  one   half   page    for   a  different   school   each    Sunday. 

2»Mr.   Engleman  was  Chairman  of  the  Junior  Red  Cross. 

l*This   is  only   a   partial   list,  as  no   complete   records  have   been   kept. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  Z7 

We  have  also  helped  by  buying  and  selling  thrift  and 
War  Saving  stamps,  by  collecting  clothing  for  orphans, 
buying  of  liberty  bonds  and  adopting  French  orphans. 

Although  we  had  been  carrying  on  war  activities,  we 
continued  our  other  work  as  well  and  especially  our  ath- 
letics. Since  1910  the  athletic  spirit  has  grown  rapidly. 
We  now  have  annual  basketball  tournaments,  volley  ball, 
baseball,  track,  besides  athletic  tests  in  chinning,  running, 
jumping,  hurdling,  balancing,  etc. 

Since  1913  Mr.  Engleman  has  spent  much  of  his  time 
getting  the  people  to  see  that  it  is  necessary  to  raise  the 
salaries  of  the  teachers.  He  has  gone  to  Springfield  to  the 
legislature  to  get  the  representatives  to  vote  to  have  a 
law  passed  to  raise  salaries.  This  year  he  was  made  chair- 
man of  a  state  committee  to  help  carry  out  this  plan. 

It  has  been  surprising  to  see  how  the  schools  have 
grown  and  progressed  in  fifty-five  years,  from  one  two- 
room  school  to  fourteen  ward  schools,  having  eight  to 
thirteen  rooms,  one  Junior  High  and  one  High  School.  It 
has  also  been  interesting  to  see  how  each  superintendent 
has  gone  about  his  work,  how  the  course  of  study  has 
grown,  how  the  methods  of  teaching  and  study  have  been 
improved,  how  the  feeling  of  the  community  has  changed 
towards  the  schools,  and  as  a  result  of  this  how  the  com- 
munity and  the  schools  have  become  more  closely  related 
to  one  another. 

Now,  the  entire  educational  and  business  force  con- 
sists of 

Board  of  Education — 3  members 
Superintendent — Mr.  J.  O.  Engleman 
6  Supervisors : 

Supervisor  of  Elementary  Grades — Miss  Sarah  Mark 

Imboden 
Supervisor  of  Penmanship — Miss  Mary  Baker 
Supervisor  of  Drawing — Miss  Effie  Pearl  Imes 
Supervisor  of  Music— Mr.  Eldon  Geiger 
Supervisor  of  Hygiene — Miss  Gunhild  Johnson 


62656 


38  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


Supervisor  of  Physical  Education  —  Miss    Katherine 
Norris. 
6  Special  Teachers 

2  Manual  Training 

2  Domestic  Art 

2  General  Supplies 
202  Teachers 
6951  Boys  and  Girls 
1  Attendance  Officer— Mr.  J.  B.  Shick 

1  Business  Manager — Mr.  Arthur  Kinkade 
and  Secretary  to  Board  of  Education 

2  Secretaries  in  Business  Office 

2  Secretaries  in  Public  School  Office 
1  Secretary  to  Superintendent 
1  Chief  Engineer 
5  Engineers 
20  Janitors. 

Besides  the  public  schools  in  Decatur,  there  are  four 
parochial  and  two  private  schools.  The  four  parochial  are 
St.  Patrick,  St.  James,  St.  Johannes  and  St.  Paul.  The  two 
private  schools  are  the  Seven  Day  Adventist  and  St. 
Theresa  Academy. 

The  St.  Patrick  School  is  controlled  by  the  Irish  Cath- 
olics. It  was  founded  over  forty-eight  years  ago.  The 
enrollment  for  the  first  year  was  402. 

The  St.  James  is  controlled  by  the  German  Catholics. 
St.  Johannes  School  was  founded  about  1890.  The  enroll- 
ment for  the  first  year  was  between  70  and  80.  In  the 
first  year  there  were  two  small  frame  buildings  which 
served  as  school  rooms,  with  two  teachers. 

The  Seven  Day  Adventist  School  and  St.  Theresa's 
Academy  are  the  only  private  schools  in  Decatur,  besides 
Millikin.  St.  Theresa  was  founded  in  September,  1914. 
The  present  enrollment  is  120.  In  the  beginning  they 
enrolled  sixty-four. 

Decatur  fully  realizes  the  responsibility  which  rests 
upon   her.     Therefore  she  strives  to  have  better  schools. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  39 


She  encouraged  every  ^*form  of  education  that  will  make 
better  citizens.  Decatur  has  tried  very  much  to  be  worthy 
of  what  President  Roosevelt  said  in  his  dedication  speech 
at  Millikin,  "^*The  success  or  failure  of  our  American  gov- 
ernment in  the  future  depends  upon  what  kind  of  men  and 
women  the  boys  and  girls  of  today  turn  out  to  be.  I  con- 
gratulate you  upon  the  evidence  I  have  seen  that  you 
appreciate  that  fact  and  that  you  are  training  them  in  your 
homes,  in  the  schools,  and  in  colleges  such  as  this." 


MOTHERS'  CLUBS 

The  Mothers'  clubs  alone  have  done  more  to  change  the 
feeling  of  the  community  towards  the  schools  and  to 
strengthen  the  relationship  between  school  and  home  than 
any  other  organization. 

The  first  club  was  organized  at  the  Pugh  School  in  1905 
by  Miss  ^Hamilton.  Their  most  important  work  was  started 
in  1908,  when  with  the  help  of  several  ^prominent  doctors 
and  dentists  they  started  the  first  ^free  clinic  in  the  public 
schools. 

After  examining  two  hundred  twenty-seven  boys  and 
girls  they  found  fifty-eight  had  imperfect  vision,  thirteen 
had  defective  hearing,  six  had  hardened  wax  in  the  ears, 
twenty-eight  had  catarrh,  eighty-nine  had  diseased  tonsils, 
six  had  adenoids,  three  had  soft  palates,  nineteen  had  ab- 
normal noses. 

In  examining  the  teeth  of  two  hundred  thirteen  they 
found  sixty-two  had  cavities  in  temporary  teeth,  one  hun- 
dred twenty-three  had  cavities  in  permanent  teeth,  one 
hundred  seven  needed  cleaning  and  one  hundred  needed 
attention  soon. 


l*Such  as  art  exhibits,  by  such  men  as  Birge  Harris,  Roy  Brown  and  other 
prominent    artists,    good    moving   pictures,    symphony    concerts,    etc. 

2*From   the    speech   of   Roosevelt   at    the   dedication    of   Millikin    University. 
iMiss  Hamilton  was  principal  of  Pugh  School  at  this  time.     She  later  took 
Miss  Jenkins'   place  as   Supervisor  of  Elementary   Grades. 

2This  was  the  first  clinic  under  school  management.     The  King's  Daughters 
had  started  a  free  clinic  before  this  in  connection  with  the  Baptist  Church., 

SDoctors    Evans,    Waltz,    Cassell,    Adams,    Rowdybush,    Russell,    Bachman, 
Vaughn,  Sundberg  and  Elslager. 


40  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


After  this  the  parents  woke  up  to  the  fact  that  they 
were. neglecting  their  children  and  something  must  be  done 
immediately. 

The  interest  created  by  this  club  reached  out  to  other 
communities  and  in  1911-12  every  ward  school  had  a  Moth- 
ers' club.  Their  work  has  steadily  and  successfully  grown. 
Now  as  then  they  are  interested  in  the  health  of  the  chil- 
dren, and  purchase  playground  equipment  such  as  slides, 
swings,  rings,  ladders,  climbing  poles,  basketballs,  volley 
balls,  etc. 

♦During  1917-18  the  total  amount  taken  in  by  all  the 
clubs  was  $3,725.49  and  the  total  amount  paid  out  was 
$2,710.24  for  school  purposes,  such  as  playgrounds  appara- 
tus, books,  pianos,  victrolas,  etc.  They  also  adopted  war 
orphans,  bought  Liberty  bonds,  donated  to  Red  Cross  and 
Boy  Scout  work,  etc. 

Besides  their  social  and  business  meetings  they  have 
meetings  in  which  outsiders  talk  to  them  on  diflferent  topics 
of  interest  especially  to  parents. 

The  big  result  of  all  this  work  is  a  "better  understand- 
ing and  cooperation"  between  parents,  teachers  and  chil- 
dren. The  work  has  grown  so  that  now  all  the  clubs  have 
formed  a  federation  known  as  the  Parent-Teachers'  Asso- 
ciation. 


THE  DECATUR  HIGH  SCHOOL 

Those  who  view  the  manifold  activities  of  our  present 
high  school  can  scarcely  realize  how  humble  was  the  be- 
ginning of  that  great  institution  now  housing  over  1,300 
students.  According  to  tradition,  the  first  session  was  held 
in  the  year  1862  in  a  building  known  as  the  "Big  Brick." 
Later  the  Second  Ward  Building  stood  there.  The  site  is 
now  occupied  by  the  E.  A.  Gastman  School. 

At  the  time  of  the  beginning  of  the  high  school,  the 
school  year  was  fixed  at  six  months,  and  no  regular  course 
of  study  was  adopted.    The  total  membership  for  the  year 

•From  June,   1918,  reports  of  Board  of  Education. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  41 

was  sixty-four.  The  school  was  poorly  lighted  and  poorly 
ventilated.  Heat  was  furnished  by  an  old-fashioned  coal 
stove. 

During  the  summer  of  1863,  the  location  of  the  high 
school  was  changed  to  the  basement  of  the  Baptist  Church, 
which  then  stood  at  the  corner  of  Water  and  William 
streets.  The  Liberty  restaurant  now  occupies  that  corner. 
Sessions  were  held  there  for  the  next  six  years. 

In  1864  the  school  year  was  lengthened  to  nine  months, 
and  a  short  time  afterward,  a  three-years  course  was  adopt- 
ed. In  August,  1866,  three  lots  on  the  corner  of  East  North 
and  Broadway  streets  were  bought,  to  be  used  as  a  site  for 
a  real  high  school  building,  but  no  further  action  was  taken 
until  later.  Construction  was  actually  started  in  July, 
1869,  and  school  began  in  September  of  that  same  year. 
Three  teachers  were  employed  there,  and  Mr.  Samuel  Jack 
was  principal.  In  1870  a  class  of  eight  graduated ;  there 
were  no  graduates  for  the  year  1871. 

In  1892  an  addition  was  made  to  the  front  of  the  build- 
ing, and  in  1895  an  addition  was  made  to  the  rear.  The 
school  was  fitted  with  three  session  rooms,  thirteen  recita- 
tion rooms,  two  laboratories,  a  drawing  room  and  a  library. 

By  1911  the  town  was  rapidly  growing,  and  a  new  and 
modern  building  was  erected  on  the  corner  of  North  and 
Franklin  streets.  This  was  considered  one  of  the  best  high 
schools  in  the  state,  having  a  gymnasium,  auditorium,  a 
library,    a    lunch    room,    and    numerous    other    up-to-date 

features.  With  three  laboratories,  eighteen  session  rooms, 
thirty-one  recitation  rooms,  and  four  manual  training  de- 
partments, it  was  thought  that  the  future  needs  of  students 
for  years  to  come  were  provided  for — yet  today  the  school 
is  vastly  overcrowded,  its  faculty  of  fifty-two  teachers  too 
small,  and  its  library  and  gymnasium  facilities  inadequate. 
We  are  much  in  need  of  Junior  High  Schools  to  relieve  the 
pressure  and  keep  up  with  "Growing  Decatur." 


42  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


DEPARTMENTS 
SCIENCE 

Perhaps  no  department  in  the  school  has  grown  more 
than  the  science  department. 

In  1871  a  four-year  science  course  was  added  to  the 
curriculum.  It  was  in  1881  that  Mr.  Coonradt  began  teach- 
ing in  the  school.  At  that  time  there  was  no  laboratory, 
and  the  value  of  the  apparatus  was  about  two  hundred  dol- 
lars. The  first  semblance  of  the  laboratory  was  in  the 
basement  of  the  school,  and  it  was  poorly  lighted  and 
heated. 

The  beginnings  of  the  museum  were  collected  by  the 
first  superintendent,  Mr.  E.  A.  Gastman.  There  was  a 
fairly  good  collection  of  alcoholic  specimens,  birds  and 
bird-skins,  and  a  few  mammals.  The  collections  were 
scattered  in  all  the  rooms  and  corridors,  in  cases  and  on 
shelves.  Later  these  were  assembled  in  real  cases  in  the 
museum  on  the  first  floor  of  the  new  building. 

In  1881,  one  of  the  four  teachers  taught  sciences.  In 
these  astronomy  was  included  until  manual  training  was 
taken  up,  when  it  was  dropped. 

Today  the  science  department  consists  of  five  teachers, 
fully  alive  to  the  needs  of  the  school,  and  making  use  of  all 
up-to-date  material  on  their  subjects. 

AGRICULTURE 

The  school  realized  some  three  years  ago  that,  since  it 
is  located  in  the  richest  agricultural  region  of  the  United 
States,  in  order  to  work  for  the  benefit  of  the  community, 
it  should  teach  what  is  a  part  of  the  life  of  the  community. 
Thus  agriculture  was  introduced  as  one  of  her  courses. 
Though  small  in  the  beginning,  like  every  other  movement 
of  worth  it  fought  its  way  to  the  front. 

The  importance  of  agriculture  as  a  vocation  has  not 
only  been  recognized  by  the  local  community  and  state,  but 
today  is  helped  by  the  Federal  Government  under  the  pro- 
visions   of   the    Smith-Hughes    law.      The    Decatur    High 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  43 


School,  after  three  years  in  pioneering  in  agricultural  work, 
has  now  come  under  the  provisions  of  the  Smith-Hughes 
law,  whereby  not  only  the  technical  but  also  the  practical 
side  of  agriculture  will  be  emphasized.  Thus  the  subject 
will  be  vitalized  and  made  a  necessary  part  indeed  in  the 
life  of  the  community. 

ENGLISH 

The  English  department  has  just  revised  its  course, 
which  in  its  present  form  is  creating  considerable  comment. 

A  number  of  cities  throughout  the  country  have  sent 
for  copies  of  its  methods. 

The  courses  of  this  department  are  as  follows : 

Eight  semesters  of  literature. 

Eight  semesters  of  composition. 

Four  semesters  of  effective  speaking. 

Four  semesters  of  interpretative  reading. 

Two  semesters  of  drama. 

One  semester  of  grammar. 

The  department  tries  not  only  to  keep  in  touch  with  the 
most  worth  while  literature,  but  also  with  current  litera- 
ture. "Builders  of  Democracy"  and  Galsworthy's  "Justice" 
are  examples  of  books  of  the  latter  type  studied  in  the 
school. 

Through  Miss  O.  M.  Bear,  arrangements  have  been 
made  whereby  every  student  may  subscribe  at  a  low  rate 
to  "The  Literary  Digest,"  which  is  in  some  of  the  upper 
classes  used  on  certain  days  as  a  text. 

The  department  is  willing  to  cooperate  with  the  worth- 
while movements  of  the  city,  state,  and  nation. 

It  supported  the  Red  Cross  Seal  Drive  and  Thrift  Stamp 
Drive. 

Through  its  efforts  two  hundred  twenty-five  dollars' 
worth  of  Red  Cross  Seals  were  sold. 

It  raised  money  for  the  Belgian  Relief  Fund  and  for  the 
Armenian  Fund. 

It  cooperates  with  the  "Review"  in  carrying  on  their 
annual  story  contest  as  well  as  other  minor  contests. 


44  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


In  order  to  improve  the  English  of  the  students,  what 
was  known  as  "Good  English  Week"  was  launched.  Tags 
of  various  colors  were  provided,  and  students  making  cer- 
tain mistakes  were  decorated  with  certain  colors.  At  the 
end  of  the  week  a  student  who  had  not  been  "tagged"  at 
all  was  given  a  white  tag  of  merit. 

The  work  of  this  department  is  at  present  attracting 
considerable  attention  throughout  the  state. 

MATHEMATICS 

Three  and  one-half  years  of  mathematics  are  offered  in 
high  school.  One  year  of  algebra  and  one  year  of  geometry 
are  required  for  graduation  in  all  but  four  of  the  curricula. 
Algebra  III  is  required  for  all  students  who  expect  to  use 
their  mathematics  in  college.  Solid  geometry  and  trig- 
onometry are  offered  to  students  who  wish  to  continue  with 
mathematics.  A  student  doing  good  work  in  algebra  at 
junior  high  school  receives  credit  for  one  semester's  algebra 
upon  entering  high  school. 

The  practical  side  of  the  work  is  emphasized  where  pos- 
sible ;  for  example,  the  department  owns  a  small  transit 
which  is  used  in  the  various  classes,  especially  the  trigo- 
nometry classes. 

The  aim  of  the  teachers  in  this  department  is  to  give  the 
student  a  good  working  knowledge  of  the  subject,  so  that 
his  knowledge  may  be  a  help  to  him  after  leaving  school. 

Last  year  the  mathematics  department  laid  off  the  tract 
for  the  May  Fete  that  was  given  by  the  schools. 

LATIN 

Latin  was  introduced  in  the  school  in  about  the  year 
1869.  It  was  an  extra  course,  and  anyone  who  wished  to 
study  it  was  allowed  to  drop  one  of  his  studies. 

In  our  school  Latin  is  not  taught  as  a  dead  language. 
There  are  seventeen  Latin  classes  at  present,  and  by  means 
of  charts  they  are  taught  the  close  relation  between  the 
English  language  and  Latin.  Advertisements  of  inventions 
containing  Latin  derivatives  are  cut  out  by  pupils  and  made 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  45 

into  posters,  as  well  as  names  of  flowers,  scientific  words 
found  in  other  subjects,  and  words  that  are  Latin  deriva- 
tives found  in  the  English  classics. 

Occasionally  plays  are  given  in  which  Roman  costumes 
are  worn,  and  Roman  games  form  the  chief  entertainment 
at  some  of  the  celebrations  held.  The  department  owns  a 
number  of  supplementary  readers  and  several  Roman  cos- 
tumes. 

MUSIC 

The  music  department  has  kept  pace  with  the  growth 
of  the  other  departments.  Besides  the  chorus  classes,  har- 
mony, music  history,  and  music  appreciation  have  been  in- 
troduced. For  these,  credit  is  given  if  a  student  enters  the 
University  of  Illinois. 

There  are  many  students  taking  outside  music  for  which 
they  receive  credit. 

A  splendid  orchestra  has  been  organized.  The  depart- 
ment owns  two  violins,  cello,  bass  viol,  viola,  French  horn, 
and  a  trombone.  At  first  the  orchestra,  which  has  grown 
larger  and  better  each  year,  practiced  after  school.  Now  it 
practices  the  eighth  hour. 

The  department  first  bought  a  small  Victor  machine, 
later  exchanging  it  for  a  larger  machine.  There  is  now  a 
large  library  of  records.  A  player  piano  was  purchased  two 
years  ago. 

COMMERCIAL 

Perhaps  no  department  does  more  hard  work  or  func- 
tions more  adequately  in  the  work  of  the  school  than  the 
commercial  department. 

The  commercial  course  was  introduced  in  the  school 
year  of  1911-12.  Miss  Parker  was  the  first  teacher;  she 
taught  shorthand  and  typewriting.  At  that  time  there 
were  only  sixteen  typewriters  in  use,  and  now  there  are 
thirty-five  used  every  hour  of  the  day.  As  time  went  on, 
authorities  were  compelled  to  have  a  separate  teacher  for 
each  course.  Lately  a  mimeograph  has  been  bought  for 
the  use  of  the  students. 


46  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

In  the  commercial  arithmetic  daily  tests  are  used  to 
make  the  students  more  accurate  and  efficient.  Penmanship 
is  also  taken  with  the  arithmetic.  A  student  must  pass  a 
certain  test  before  he  gets  credit  for  the  arithmetic. 

The  bookkeeping  classes  keep  accounts  for  societies  and 
other  organizations.  For  their  benefit  the  school  has 
bought  an  adding  machine. 

The  commercial  geography  classes  do  not  only  recite 
in  the  class  room,  but  take  trips  to  factories  and  other  in- 
dustries in  the  community  to  see  how  the  work  is  actually 
done. 

The  students  of  the  stenographic  department  are  found 
working  at  the  Wabash,  the  Review,  First  National  Bank, 
Muellers',  Leader  Iron  Works,  and  many  other  places. 

ART 

It  has  indeed  been  said  with  truth  that  the  art  depart- 
ment is  one  of  the  most  willing  in  the  school  when  it  comes 
to  cooperation,  for  it  supervises  all  the  excellent  poster 
work  of  the  school,  and  is  responsible  for  the  drawings  in 
the  "Decanois"  and  "Observer."  Some  really  remarkable 
posters  have  been  turned  out  by  the  drawing  classes  in 
recent  years,  some  driving  home  points,  in  "Good  Health 
Week,"  some  illustrating  truths  for  "Good  English  Week," 
some  merely  advertising  games  and  contests. 

The  art  classes  take  up  the  following:  Still  life  and  na- 
ture studies;  perspective,  design,  poster,  construction  and 
cut  out  work.  The  advanced  classes  take  up  costume  de- 
signing and  interior  decorating. 

The  mediums  used  are:  Charcoal,  crayon,  pencil,  pen 
and  ink,  and  water  coloring. 

The  art  department  has  two  organizations:  The  Poster 
Club  and  The  Junior  Art  League. 

The  object  of  the  Poster  Club  is  to  study  good  and  bad 
art  work.  They,  with  the  daily  drawing  classes,  have  made 
posters  for  the  different  organizations  and  special  events 
of  the  school. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  47 

HOUSEHOLD  ARTS 

Household  arts  is  divided  into  two  classes :  Domestic 
Art  and  Domestic  Science.  Domestic  Art  consists  of  sew- 
ing. The  first  thing  made  is  a  sewing  bag,  and  in  this  les- 
son all  of  the  stitches  are  taught.  The  bag  is  made  entirely 
by  hand.  The  lessons  get  harder  as  they  go  along,  the  last 
things  made  being  wool  dresses  and  silk  dresses. 

Every  garment  made  is  practical,  and  the  student  makes 
each  for  herself.  A  student  must  start  at  the  beginning  of 
the  course,  no  matter  what  year  she  is  in.  She  is  taught  to 
cut  the  garments  out  in  such  a  way  as  to  save  material. 
Sewing  is  a  very  good  thing  to  have  in  High  School,  be- 
cause many  girls  do  not  have  a  chance  to  learn  elsewhere. 

Domestic  Science  takes  in  four  important  subjects.  The 
first  and  second  semesters  are  devoted  to  cooking  and  les- 
sons in  serving,  and  the  study  of  foods.  The  third  and 
fourth  semesters  are  devoted  to  more  elaborate  cooking 
than  the  first  and  second  semesters.  Serving  is  emphasized 
especially.  The  fifth  semester  is  devoted  to  home  nursing, 
the  care  of  babies,  and  first  aid  and  bandages.  The  sixth 
semester  teaches  the  planning  of  meals,  the  care  of  invalids, 
the  food  they  should  have,  etc.,  the  care  of  babies  and  small 
children. 

It  is  a  good  thing  to  have  domestic  arts  because  it 
teaches  girls  things  that  they  should  know.  It  is  a  very 
necessary  thing  in  these  days  of  high  prices. 

The  domestic  art  and  domestic  science  rooms  are  light 
and  airy,  and  this  is  a  very  important  thing. 

MANUAL  ARTS 

This  course  is  one  of  the  vocational  courses  of  the 
school. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  institution,  anyone  who  sug- 
gested that  carpentry  or  horseshoeing  might  be  taught  in 
the  school  room  would  probably  have  been  ducked  under 
the  town  pump  on  Lincoln  Square. 


48  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

A  visit  to  the  wood  shop  of  the  Decatur  High  School 
discovers  such  mysterious  things  as  a  circular  saw,  band 
saw,  small  and  large  jointers,  and  lathes,  all  of  which  a  stu- 
dent is  early  taught  to  use.  The  boy  who  can  plane  well 
the  face  of  a  board  or  cut  out  curves  with  a  band  saw  is 
probably  a  more  efficient  citizen  than  the  bookworm  in 
jeans  in  the  basement  of  the  Baptist  Church  long  ago. 

In  the  forge  shop  there  are  forges  for  heating  the  iron. 
The  fire  is  blown  by  a  power  blower,  the  smoke  being  taken 
out  by  a  power  suction  fan.  There  are  anvils  on  which  the 
iron  is  shaped  by  the  various  necessary  hammers. 

The  equipment  includes  a  "22"  drill  press  for  drilling 
holes  in  iron  and  a  power  water  grinder  for  grinding  the 
iron,  also  a  gas  furnace  for  tempering  steel. 

In  the  drawing  room  of  the  department  there  are  draw- 
ing boards  to  fasten  the  paper  to,  T-squares  for  drawing 
lines,  and  30-degree,  60-degree  and  45-degree  triangles  and 
sets  of  instruments.  Mechanical  drawing  and  machine 
drawing  are  taught  here. 

The  manual  arts  department  cooperates  when  it  can 
with  other  departments  in  the  School.  In  past  years  it  has 
made  much  of  the  scenery  and  furniture  used  in  the  senior 
plays.  It  is  responsible  for  the  cases  for  the  Readers  Guide 
and  Century  Dictionary  in  the  library,  and  for  the  library 
bulletin  board.  It  even  does  work  for  the  ward  schools 
whenever  possible. 

The  boys  of  the  30's  and  60's  may  have  known  many 
useful  things  about  wild  bee  trees,  finding  the  red  ear  at 
corn  shucking,  treeing  'coons  and  making  corn-shuck  horse 
collars,  but  the  boy  in  the  manual  training  department  who 
turns  out  a  cedar  chest,  a  canoe,  or  an  aeroplane,  has  prob- 
ably acquired  values  that  the  pioneer  and  village  boy  did 
not  have. 

HISTORY 

The  history  department  of  the  high  school  tries  to  make 
the  work  practical  in  every  aspect,  teaching  every  subject 
so  that  the  students  are  able  to  link  the  past  with  the  pres- 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  49 

ent,  and  so  understand  such  present  day  things  as  the 
Americanization  movement  throughout  the  country,  the 
industrial  unrest,  local  social  institutions,  and  the  value  of 
good  school  citizenship,  a  course  in  economics  is  offered,  a 
somewhat  unusual  thing. 

The  civics  course  is  always  alive  and  interesting.  The 
days  when  pupils  were  required  to  learn  paragraph  after 
paragraph  by  heart  are  happily  over.  Our  civics  students 
visit  the  Macon  County  jail  and  the  poor-farm,  gaining 
some  very  strong  ideas  about  the  governing  powers  of  the 
grown-ups  of  the  town. 

The  big  civics  exhibit  which  was  put  on  by  Mr.  William 
Casey  in  the  corridors,  library,  and  drawing  room  of  the 
school,  was  perhaps  the  most  remarkable  exhibit  in  high 
school  history  in  any  other  state.  By  use  of  charts,  photo- 
graphs, statistics,  posters,  his  students  showed  the  general 
public  the  needs  of  Decatur  in  many  respects.  It  was  not 
comfortable  in  those  days  of  lower  rents  for  a  prosperous 
landlord  to  see  on  a  poster  a  picture  of  one  of  his  tumble- 
down shacks,  surrounded  by  ashes  and  tin  cans,  with  a  sad- 
looking  tenant  in  the  doorway,  and  underneath  an  inscrip- 
tion something  like  this : 

"This  hovel  belongs  to  W.  R.  Skinnem,  of  the  Second 
National  Bank.  It  has  three  rooms  that  have  not  been 
papered  for  seven  years.  For  this  house  the  tenant  pays 
$12.00  a  month  rent." 

Students  who  have  taken  history,  civics,  and  economics 
in  the  Decatur  High  School  have  found  that  they  have 
chosen  wisely  and  well. 

GYMNASTICS 
The  Girls'  Gymnasium 

The  first  gymnasium  was  in  Greece,  and  for  that  reason 
we  see  the  inscription,  "Signa  Mens  in  Signo  Corpore," 
meaning  "a.  sound  mind  in  a  sound  body,"  on  so  many  gym- 
nasium doors. 

The  gymnasium  of  the  Decatur  High  School  is  one  of 
the  best  in  the  state.     A  gymnasium  is  a  very  good  thing 


50  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

to  have  in  any  school.     Pupils  who  have  plenty  of  exercise 
have  more  will  power  and  more  active  minds. 

The  girls  have  hockey  teams  and  basketball  teams. 
Often  they  go  on  many  long  hikes.  Lately  a  movement 
has  been  started  to  measure  the  girls  to  see  if  most  of  them 
are  up  to  standard  in  weight  and  height,  also  to  see  if  they 
have  normal  heart  beat.  By  finding  out  the  latter,  teach- 
ers can  see  which  girls  are  able  to  take  gymnasium  and 
which  are  not. 

Under  the  auspices  of  the  gymnasium  department  and 
the  domestic  art  department,  "Good  Health  Week"  was 
launched  last  semester. 

The  object  of  "Good  Health  Week"  in  the  Decatur  High 
School  was  to  correct  certain  habits  detrimental  to  the  stu- 
dents* health. 

Proper  diet,  the  number  of  hours'  sleep  for  certain  ages, 
the  value  of  plenty  of  exercise,  proper  clothing  for  all  kinds 
of  weather,  fresh  air,  and  posture,  were  emphasized.  This 
was  done  by  means  of  posters,  menus,  lectures  by  city 
physician  and  the  county  adviser  in  Home  Economics. 

Tags  were  used  with  health  rules  printed  on  them. 
Themes  were  written  in  the  English  classes  on  health  top- 
ics, and  a  clever  little  play  was  given  by  the  English  de- 
partment. Posters  were  sent  out  by  the  Boys'  Hi-Y  Club, 
on  the  six  hygienes.  The  sale  of  Red  Cross  seals  was  also 
held  in  connection  with  "Good  Health  Week." 

Boys'  Gymnasium 

The  boys'  gymnasium  classes  are  similar  to  the  girls' 
gymnasium  classes.  On  the  floor  the  boys  have  standing 
exercises,  work  on  the  apparatus,  and  games. 

There  is  an  inter-mural  basketball  team,  and  on  this 
team  boys  of  certain  weights  play  other  boys.  There  are 
also  basketball  games  where  rooms  compete  with  other 
rooms.  Boys  competent  may  play  on  the  High  School 
team. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  51 

•  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 

In  1865,  as  was  stated  above,  the  only  high  school  in 
Decatur  was  the  "Big  Brick."  It  did  not  have  a  library  or 
anything  that  pertained  to  a  library  except  a  large  book, 
which  they  called  the  "Booktionary." 

This  was  the  only  meaTis  of  reference  that  the  students 
of  that  daty  had.  It  held  a  place  of  honor  on  a  large  table 
in  the  corner  of  the  room,  and  was  walked  up  to  solemnly 
by  those  on  knowledge  bent. 

The  students  wanted  a  library  very  badly,  but  had  no 
way  to  get  one.  Finally,  Miss  Emily  Moeller,  Miss  Carrie 
Johnson  and  Miss  Jane  Howard,  all  students  of  high  school, 
started  out  on  a  canvassing  tour  through  Decatur  to  raise 
money  for  a  room  of  books.  After  three  days  of  canvassing 
they  managed  to  get  the  entire  sum  of  one  dollar  and  fifty 
cents!  With  that  "large"  sum  of  money  the  principal 
bought  a  set  of  English  Literature  books.  The  students 
did  not  get  discouraged,  however,  but  kept  on  raising 
money  with  earnestness  until  they  had  a  small  library.  This 
was  the  pride  of  Decaturites,  and  everyone  would  point 
very  proudly  to  "our  library,"  and  the  stranger  would  go 
away  satisfied,  whether  he  had  seen  it  or  not. 

The  High  School  library  has  grown  from  the  one  "Book- 
tionary"  to  a  library  of  over  three  thousand  books  and 
pamphlets.  These  are  all  recorded  and  the  cards  are  kept  in 
the  catalogue,  so  that  the  student  may  go  to  it  to  find  where 
his  book  is  located  and  get  it  without  trouble  or  help.  The 
books  are  divided  into  sections,  such  as  reference,  fiction, 
biography,  autobiography,  zoology,  and  many  others. 

The  library  has  grown  so  large  that  we  have  to  have 
student  help  every  hour.  Student  wishing  to  go  to  the 
library  to  do  reference  work  signs  a  library  list  and  is  per- 
mitted to  go.  When  they  get  there,  they  sign  a  slip.  No 
student  is  allowed  to  go  to  the  library  more  than  once  a 
day,  because  of  the  overcrowded  conditions.  If  he  does,  he 
cannot  go  again  for  a  month. 

The  library  possesses  a  very  beautiful  picture  on  its 
south  wall  called  "As  the  Sowing  and  Reaping."    This  was 


52  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


painted  by  Sylvester,  a  man  who  loved  to  paint  the  Mis- 
sissippi. This  picture  shows  the  wheat  shocks  about  ready 
to  be  threshed.  Beyond  these  you  get  a  glimpse  of  the 
Mississippi  river.  There  is  no  other  school  in  Illinois  that 
has  such  a  wonderful  picture.  This  picture  was  purchased 
by  the  classes  of  1911,  assisted, by  the  Junior  Art  League, 
R.  R.  Montgomery,  and  others. 

The  school  library  not  only  contains  the  picture  for  the 
students  to  be  proud  of,  but  also  a  lovely  statue  of  the 
"Winged  Victoret."  This  was  presented  to  the  Decatur 
High  School  Library  by  the  Junior  Art  League  in  a  beauti- 
ful pageant  in  the  auditorium.  The  statue  is  in  the  north 
part  of  the  library. 

There  is  no  excuse  for  a  D.  H.  S.  student  leaving  the 
institution  without  becoming  acquainted  with  what  is  good 
in  periodical  literature.  In  the  magazine  case  one  may  find 
The  Atlantic  Monthly,  Harper's,  Century,  Boys'  Life,  Cur- 
rent Opinion,  Independent,  Scientific  American,  St.  Nicho- 
las, Youth's  Companion,  and  many  others.  Wornout  copies 
of  magazines  not  used  for  bindery  volumes  are  placed  in  a 
clipping  basket,  so  that  students  may  find  illustrative  ma- 
terial of  all  sorts. 

The  Decatur  High  School  library  was  one  of  the  first 
in  the  state,  if  not  the  first,  to  give  one  credit  per  semester 
to  capable  students  who  assist  in  the  work.  No  attempt  is 
made  to  teach  these  people  library  science,  but  the  power 
and  knowledge  gained  through  contact  with  the  books  and 
pupils  are  worth  much  to  the  assistant. 

Unfortunately  the  appropriation  for  books  has  not  kept 
up  with  the  rapid  growth  of  the  school,  so  that  students 
are  often  badly  handicapped  when  they  attempt  to  look  up 
subjects.  So  great  has  been  this  growth  that  the  library 
could  make  use  of  at  least  7,000  volumes  and  three  trained 
librarians. 

SCHOOL  ACTIVITIES 
School  Government 
As  in  any  democracy,  it  has  been  found  necessary  to 
change  occasionally  the  form  of  government  in  the  high 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  53 


school.  A  form  that  functions  adequately  for  four  or  five 
years  becomes  outworn,  and  then  a  new  one  originates. 
The  aim  at  present  is  for  cooperative  control.  Thus  the 
student  is  allowed  full  measure  of  self-control,  and  the 
teacher  is  the  friendly  advisor. 

Only  recently  the  Boys'  Council  and  the  Girls'  Council, 
which  served  the  school  effectually  for  a  number  of  years, 
have  been  replaced  by  a  different  scheme  of  government. 
This"  scheme  is  unusual,  and  probably  is  not  duplicated  in 
any  other  school  in  the  state.  It  is  much  more  comprehen- 
sive and  authoritative  than  the  old. 

Its  origin  lays  in  the  fact  that  the  overcrowded  corridors 
of  the  school  gave  rise  to  the  situation  that  showed  the  need 
of  intelligent  restraint.  Some  of  the  more  thoughtful  upper 
classmen  brought  their  plan  for  the  solution  of  this  to  Mr. 
Evans  of  the  history  department.  He  thought  it  a  good 
plan,  and  said  he  would  talk  it  over  with  the  principal,  Mr. 
Deam. 

Mr.  Deam  was  highly  in  favor  of  the  new  move,  and  it 
was  then  brought  before  the  faculty  and  the  students. 
Everyone  was  at  once  in  favor  of  it. 

Briefly  stated,  the  government  of  the  school  is  com- 
posed of  two  houses,  the  Senate  and  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives. The  thirteen  senators  were  selected  from 
among  the  upper  classmen  by  the  faculty.  Harold  Hansen 
was  made  chairman  of  the  senate.  The  student  representa- 
tives were  elected  by  the  students  in  the  various  home 
rooms,  one  representative  being  chosen  to  each  twenty 
pupils. 

The  school  government  is  supposed  to  run  along  the 
same  line  as  that  of  the  Federal  Government  of  the  United 
States.  , 

A  student's  grades  do  not  hinder  him  from  being  a  rep- 
resentative if  he  is  elected.  Among  the  representatives  are 
different  classes  of  students,  some  passing  on  "E"  and  "G," 
and  others  failing. 

The  main  purposes  of  the  school  government  are  set 
forth  in  the  preamble,  which  is  as  follows : 


S4  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


We,  the  students  of  the  Decatur  High  School,  in  order 
to  establish  a  better  and  more  efficient  government,  provide 
for  the  regulation  and  promotion  of  social,  athletic  and  civic 
affairs,  and  promote  the  general  school  w^elfare,  do  ordain 
and  establish  this  constitution  for  the  Decatur  High  School. 

Much  is  expected  of  this  new  movement,  which  insures  a 
really  fine  and  thoughtful  democratic  government  for  us  all. 

PUBLICATIONS 
The  Observer 

The  first  issue  of  the  school  paper.  The  Observer,  came 
out  in  the  school  year  of  1893-'94.  It  was  the  result  of  the 
work  of  capable  students  and  from  that  day  to  this  the 
work  has  flourished.  In  those  early  issues  we  see  the  work 
of  such  people  as  Frank  Lindsay,  Ralph  Mills  and  Buck 
Weems. 

The  literary  standard  of  The  Observer  has  always  been 
high.  The  editors  plan  to  exclude  all  that  is  cheap  and  vul- 
gar, reflecting  school  life  in  the  paper  simply  and  in  digni- 
fied form. 

The  Observer  is  still  a  monthly,  as  it  was  in  the  days  of 
its  beginnings,  put  out  by  a  staff  composed  mainly  of 
seniors.  In  this  paper  may  be  found  stories  written  by  the 
pupils,  original  poems,  an  account  of  school  life  from  one 
month  to  the  next,  notes  on  athletics,  jokes,  and  many  other 
interesting  things. 

The  Decanois 

It  has  been  said  that  The  Decanois  of  D.  H.  S.  might 
be  called  on  overgrown  Observer.  It  is  put  out  every  year 
by  a  staff  appointed  by  the  faculty.  One  of  the  most  impor- 
tant features  of  the  annual  is  the  large  number  of  very  in- 
teresting pictures  that  may  be  found  within  its  covers.  All 
organizations  and  activities  are  carefully  accounted  for  in 
this  fine  book. 

Every  senior  student  should  buy  one,  not  only  for  pres- 
ent interest  but  for  interest  in  later  years,  when  we  are  as 
out-of-date  as  the  girls  with  their  big  sleeves  stuffed  with 
feathers,  who  once  learned  lessons  in  Decatur. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  55 


SOCIETIES 
Agora  Society 

The  Agora  Society  is  made  up  of  a  group  of  about 
fifty  girls,  who  come  together  every  Monday  afternoon  at 
three-thirty,  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  High  School.  This 
society  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  honored  organizations 
in  the  high  school,  and  one  may  well  deem  it  a  privilege  to 
have  her  name  on  its  roll.  A  stranger  gazing  in  upon  them 
would  think  them  to  be  the  girls*  senate. 

The  object  of  this  society  is  to  promote  "the  mental  im- 
provement of  all  connected  with  it  in  literature,  in  debating, 
in  the  writing  of  essays,  in  parliamentary  law,  in  English, 
and  in  general  culture. 

To  become  a  member  of  the  Agora  Society,  a  girl  must 
be  connected  with  the  high  school  the  previous  semester 
and  have  done  passing  work  all  the  time.  Her  name  must 
be  handed  in  accompanied  by  the  signatures  of  at  least  five 
members  who  are  willing  to  vouch  for  her  earnestness  in 
wishing  to  join.  All  names  must  be  approved  by  the  cabi- 
net and  at  the  next  meeting  voted  upon  by  secret  ballot. 
The  candidate  must  receive  a  favorable  vote  of  two-thirds 
of  the  members  present  to  be  admitted  into  this  society. 
After  this  is  done  she  is  allowed  to  enjoy  all  of  the  privileges 
of  an  "Agora-ite." 

Forum  Society 

The  Forum  Literary  Society  is  the  next  to  the  oldest 
organization  of  the  Decatur  High  School.  The  Forum 
meets  once  each  week  in  the  High  School,  when  a  program 
is  given  by  several  of  its  members.  These  talks  are  gen- 
erally of  current  interest.  There  is  usually  a  debate  for  each 
meeting,  as  debate  is  one  of  the  most  outstanding  literary 
features  in  the  Decatur  High  School.  These  debates  are  of 
the  greatest  importance. 

The  society  has  an  adviser  from  the  faculty  who  takes  a 
hand  in  Forum  affairs  only  when  necessary. 


56  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

The  work  in  the  Forum  is  recognized  by  the  school  au- 
thorities to  be  a  real  educational  value,  so  they  allow  five- 
tenths  credit  for  work  in  this  society. 

The  purpose  of  the  Forum  is  to  furnish  an  opportunity 
for  practice  and  development  in  effective  speaking.  Its  big- 
gest and  most  important  object  is  to  mold  men  who  can 
become  leaders  in  life  beyond  the  high  school. 

Many  of  the  leading  students  are  now  Forum  members. 
Not  only  has  the  Forum  made  school  leaders,  but  the  grad- 
uates of  the  Decatur  High  School  have  carried  the  "Forum 
Ideals"  into  college  and  everyday  life. 

Rotaro  Society 

The  Rotaro  Literary  Society  has  as  one  of  its  ideals  to 
turn  out  men.  Not  necessarily  in  stature,  but  in  breadth  of 
mind.  The  parties  and  many  other  social  events  add  greatly 
to  the  pleasure  of  the  members,  but  do  not  detract  from  its 
benefits. 

The  programs  are  of  the  sort  that  make  the  Rotarorians 
keep  their  eyes  open  and  notice  things  that  are  taking  place 
about  them. 

In  the  programs  they  have  speeches  on  current  topics, 
orations,  to  promote  effective  speaking;  poems,  to  instill  an 
appreciation  for  poetry ;  and  parliamentary  law  drills,  to 
make  the  members  masters  of  business  procedure. 

The  work  done  by  the  society  is  of  a  nature  to  deserve 
the  credit  it  is  given.  The  Rotaro  contributes  to  all  school 
activities,  not  only  football,  basketball,  and  track,  but  also 
to  debate,  effective  speaking,  and  learned  oration.  The 
number  of  members  is  kept  at  twenty-five,  so  as  to  be  sure 
that  each  member  gets  his  share  of  development. 

Rotaro's  record  in  D.  H.  S.  has  been  highly  commend- 
able and  doubtless  will  be  for  years  to  come. 

Mask  and  Wig 

No  organization  contributes  more  to  the  pleasure  of  the 
student  body  than  does  Mask  and  Wig.    In  any  large  school 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  57 

there  are  some  people  with  dramatic  talent,  and  these  in 
the  high  school  find  expression  in  the  dramatic  society. 

To  become  a  member  of  this  organization,  the  applicant 
must  prove  in  a  try-out  that  he  has  some  special  talent. 

Several  plays  are  given  before  the  school  every  semester, 
during  auditorium  period,  and  these  days  are  bright  spots  in 
the  school  calendar.  The  Mask  and  Wig  is  one  of  the  most 
active  clubs  in  the  school. 

Junior  Art  League 

The  Junior  Art  League,  of  course,  represents  the  artistic 
element  in  the  Decatur  High  School  life.  Any  student  may 
be  a  member  whose  grades  are  up  to  a  certain  standard, 
provided  he  is  voted  into  the  club  and  submits  an  accept- 
able six-hundred  word  theme  on  any  art  subject  he  may 
choose. 

The  purpose  of  this  organization  is  to  foster  a  love  for 
art  among  the  pupils  and  to  teach  them  to  apply  any  knowl- 
edge gained  to  everyday  life.  Some  research  work  is  done 
by  the  members.    Lectures  on  art  are  given. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful,  things  ever  produced  in  the 
school  was  the  patriotic  pageant,  under  the  direction  of 
Miss  Kate  Troutman,  in  which  the  winged  victory  was 
presented  to  the  school. 

Pym  Club 

In  March,  1917,  a  new  club  suddenly  appeared  in  the 
high  school.  A  meeting  was  called  of  all  students  interested 
in  writing,  and  a  number  of  girls  gathered  in  a  room  on  the 
second  floor.  Two  boys,  Harold  Lasswell  and  Max  Fien- 
berg,  dauntlessly  appeared  later  in  "The  Ladies'  Aid,"  and 
through  their  efforts  other  boys  became  influential  mem- 
bers of  Pym. 

Those  who  are  lovers  of  Barrie  will  remember  Pym,  the 
writer  of  penny-dreadfuls,  who  lay  in  a  flowered  dressing- 
gown  on  a  sofa,  dipping  his  pen  grandly  in  a  saucer  of  ink, 
and  writing  at  the  most  dramatic  point  in  his  story :  "The 
end,  unless  you  pay  up  by  special  messenger."  It  was  from 
him  Pym  Club  took  its  name. 


58  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

The  purpose  of  this  club  is  to  develop  the  talents  of 
those  who  are  interested  or  skilled  in  writing. 

Pym  Club  members  try  out  for  all  possible  literary  con- 
tests. In  the  year  1918-19,  three  out  of  four  of  the  Review 
Prize  Story  Contest  winners  were  members  of  Pym. 

Pym  tries  to  be  of  service  to  the  school  in  little  ways, 
as  well  as  in  contributing  to  school  publications.  The  for- 
tunes for  the  fortune's  wheel  at  the  freshman  party  were 
written  by  Pym  people.  One  month  Pym  made  a  special 
effort  to  write  rhymes  for  the  joke  department  of  The  Ob- 
server. The  society  may  not  turn  out  a  Mary  Wilkins- 
Freeman  or  Alice  Brown,  but  it  will  have  given  students  a 
feeling  of  intimate  companionship  with  them  and  with 
others  who  dip  their  pens  in  "the  fatal,  facile  drink." 

Aristos 

Aristos,  born  in  September,  1919,  is  the  youngest  of  all 
the  school  societies.  When  Agora  grew  too  large,  it  was 
disorganized  and  made  into  Agora  and  Aristos.  Aristos 
has  a  membership  of  about  thirty  people,  all  juniors  or 
seniors.  The  quality  of  its  programs  and  the  earnestness 
of  its  members  have  already  put  the  society  to  the  fore  in 
the  activities  of  the  school. 

Arion 

Arion  was  organized  in  the  month  of  February,  1918. 
Its  object  is  to  train  freshmen  and  sophomores  to  speak 
well  in  public  and  to  learn  to  manage  effectively  an  organ- 
ization. Arion  as  well  as  Aristos  has  had  some  thoughtful 
and  interesting  programs  in  past  months.  There  are  about 
forty  members  in  this  society. 

CONTESTS 

Needless  to  say,  the  high  school  lays  emphasis  on  the 
value  of  literary  contests.  We  have  been  fortunate  in 
winning  in  many  of  these. 

In  debating  with  other  schools  we  have  several  times 
won  over  our  opponents.     Timely  subjects  are  chosen  for 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  59 

these  debates.  The  subject  for  the  year  1919-20  was:  "Re- 
solved, that  labor  is  justified  in  standing  for  the  principle 
of  collective  bargaining." 

Our  record  in  the  extemporaneous  contests  held  at 
various  places  in  the  state  has  been  enviable,  especially 
at  Chicago  and  Champaign.  Every  year  an  increasing 
number  of  students  tries  out  for  entrance  in  this  new  field 
in  high  school  work. 

Every  spring  all  students  interested  memorize  a  famous 
oration  and  present  it  before  the  try-out  committee  of  the 
faculty.  The  successful  orator  represents  D.  H.  S.  at  a 
chosen  town,  usually  Charleston,  where  we  already  have 
an  enviable  record. 

The  preliminary  try-out  for  the  Chicago  interpretative 
reading  contest  is  held  in  April.  During  a  school  hour  in 
a  certain  room  anyone  interested  in  this  contest  "recites 
her  piece."  If  she  is  one  of  the  eight  or  ten  successful 
ones,  she  later  enters  another  contest  in  the  auditorium, 
where  six  fortunate  ones  compete  in  the  finals.  The  senior 
girl  winning  this  time  enters  the  contest  held  in  Chicago 
in  the  early  spring.  If  she  wins  in  this  she  receives  a 
scholarship  in  the  University  of  Chicago. 

In  May  the  preliminary  for  the  Charleston  contest  is 
held.  The  readings  for  this  contest  are  memorized,  the 
winners  appearing  in  the  final  contest,  and  the  lucky  one 
representing  the  school  at  Charleston.  A  gold  D  is  awarded 
the  ones  who  represent  the  school  in  these  contests. 

Other  contests  are  the  annual  Decanois  story  contest, 
the  Review  prize  story  contest,  and  incidental  competitions, 
such  as  Thrift  Prize  Contest  and  the  like. 

ATHLETICS 
Football 

Football  is  the  most  popular  athletic  game  supported 
by  the  Decatur  High  School.  It  is  a  game  that  instills 
loyalty  and   school   spirit   in   the   students.     Every   home 


60  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


game  sees  a  large,  enthusiastic  crowd.  This  sport,  besides 
aiding  the  individual  physically,  makes  for  teamwork  and 
a  spirit  of  good  sportsmanship  among  the  players.  The 
team  is  truly  representative,  for  every  year  finds  members 
of  the  four  classes  playing  on  it.  Although  the  coach  and 
his  assistant  are  chosen  from  the  faculty,  a  ruling  made 
by  the  high  school  athletic  association,  we  have  been  for- 
tunate in  having  excellent  coaches. 

The  schedule  consists  of  eight  games,  four  at  home  and 
four  out  of  town.  Teams  of  the  strongest  calibre  are 
booked.  For  several  years  past,  our  team  has  played  one 
of  the  best  teams  in  northern  Illinois,  and  each  time  the 
result  has  been  satisfactory,  thus  proving  that  the  red  and 
white  team  ranks  among  the  best  in  the  state. 

Besides  improving  physically  and  mentally,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  first  and  second  teams  receive  letters  for  their 
splendid  work.  These  letters  are  in  block  style.  Students 
whose  averages  are  above  G  receive  a  white  letter,  and 
those  averaging  below  this  grade  are  awarded  a  red  letter. 
Thus  the  standard  of  athletics  is  raised. 

Every  year  Decatur  has  her  share  of  representatives 
on  the  all-star  teams.  We  also  contribute  players  who 
develop  into  stars  to  the  various  universities  and  colleges 
thruout  the  country.  Each  succeeding  year  tends  to  spread 
Decatur's  representation  for  turning  out  football  teams  that 
win  by  playing  a  clean  game. 

Interscholastic  Basketball 

Basketball  follows  football  closely  in  popularity.  Our 
gymnasium  is  always  crowded  to  its  capacity  during  a  home 
game.  The  interscholastic  season  opens  several  weeks 
after  the  close  of  the  inter-class  tournament.  This  gives 
the  football  men,  as  well  as  the  interclass  players,  an  op- 
portunity to  try  out  for  the  varsity.  The  same  rule  re- 
garding coaches  applies  to  basketball  as  applied  to  football. 

The  basketball  schedule  usually  consists  approximately 
of  twenty-two  games,  besides  the  district  and  state  tourna- 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  61 


ments,  which  are  held  after  the  close  of  the  regular  season. 
Return  games  are  always  played,  which  gives  a  good  idea 
of  the  strength  of  all  the  teams.  Decatur  has  won  the  dis- 
trict championship  three  times  and  has  been  runner  up  in 
the  state  tournament  each  year  a  team  has  been  entered. 

Our  teams  are  usually  speedy  and  have  little  difficulty 
in  winning  from  the  best  teams.  This  fact  is  due  to  the 
interclass  tournament,  which  many  times  develops  stars. 

In  recognition  of  their  faithful  work,  both  teams  re- 
ceive letters.  These  are  in  the  Old  English  style.  The 
second  team  letters  are  smaller  than  the  varsity  letters. 

Every  year  D.  H.  S.  teams  add  to  the  school's  traditions 
of  success.  The  same  loyal  spirit  and  indomitable  courage 
will  bring  an  equal  measure  of  success  year  by  year. 

Boys'  Interclass  Basketball 

In  the  fall  of  1912,  the  first  interclass  tournament  was 
organized.  Much  rivalry  exists  between  the  classes,  thus 
making  the  games  much  more  interesting.  The  schedule 
consists  of  six  double  headers;  these  games  are  held  once 
a  week  after  the  close  of  school.  The  championship  is  de- 
cided by  the  percentage  of  games  won. 

The  first  numerals  were  awarded  in  1912,  and  this  cus- 
tom has  always  been  followed.  The  crimson  figures  are 
set  in  a  white  background.  The  interclass  tournament  is 
a  big  factor  in  developing  players  for  the  varsity. 

Girls'   Interclass   Basketball 

The  girls'  interclass  basketball  tournament  has  been  a 
feature  for  four  years  and  has  been  successful  from  every 
standpoint.  This  tournament  is  held  immediately  after 
the  close  of  the  boys'  tournament.  This  is  the  most  pop- 
ular form  of  girls'  athletics  and  the  games  are  looked  for- 
ward to  with  much  interest.  The  schedule  and  champion- 
ship are  managed  in  the  same  way  as  in  the  boys'  tourna- 
ment. 


62  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

The  games  are  played  according  to  girls'  rules,  this  be- 
ing the  only  difference  between  the  two  tournaments.  It 
was  not  until  1915  that  numerals  were  awarded  to  players 
in  these  tournaments. 

Track 

In  years  past  the  team  has  won  innumerable  honors  on 
the  cinder  path.  Decatur  runners  hold  many  records  at 
the  Corn  Belt  and  interscholastic  meets.  Great  interest  is 
taken  by  the  candidates,  and  each  evening  is  spent  in  get- 
ting in  condition. 

Although  not  so  popular  as  football  or  basketball,  track 
is  gaining  in  popularity,  and  in  a  short  time  doubtless  will 
be  on  a  par  with  these  major  sports. 

In  the  early  spring  an  interclass  track  meet  is  held, 
thus  helping  to  develop  new  men.  Runners  of  unknown 
quality  are  often  discovered  at  these  meets.  By  the  open- 
ing of  the  regular  season  the  men  are  in  good  shape.  The 
coaches  have  been  very  competent,  and  in  the  last  few 
years  the  team  has  won  a  majority  of  its  meets. 

Hockey 

For  several  years  there  has  been  a  great  demand  for 
other  athletic  activities  for  the  girls  besides  basketball. 
The  results  were  the  formation  of  the  hockey  club  in  1915. 
This  club  has  its  own  officers  and  a  coach  selected  from 
the  faculty.  The  girls  meet  regularly  to  discuss  the  rules 
and  go  over  other  necessary  points.  The  club  is  divided 
into  teams  and  tournaments  arranged.  The  girls  not  quali- 
fying for  basketball  always  have  a  chance  to  try  out  for 
the  hockey  teams  and  the  girls  respond  enthusiastically. 

Hockey  is  taking  its  place  as  one  of  the  most  profitable 
and  democratic  forms  of  exercise  possible  during  the  win- 
ter months. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  63 

SOME    PROMINENT    BUSINESS    MEN    WHO    ARE 

GRADUATES   OF  THE  GOOD 

OLD  D.  H.  S. 

H.  I.  Baldwin  James  D.  Johnson 

Lee  Boland  Milton  Johnson,  Jr. 

Everett  J.  Brown  Guy  W.  Lipscomb 

Elmer  O.  Brintlinger  Thomas  W.   Pitner 

Joe  Catlin  Harold  Pogue 

Ralph  O.  Conklin  R.  K.  Schudel 

Vadian  W.  Conklin  Arthur  Wait 

Archer  T.  Davis  .  Clarence   Wait 

Clarence  A.   Erwin  J.  F.  F.  Waltz 

Harry  E.  Haines  Roy  R.  Wilson 

Benjamin  A.  Imboden  Will  Wood 

Cecil  McKee  Jack  Theo.  Coleman 
Thomas  B.  Jack 


LYONS  BUSINESS  COLLEGE 

Lyons  Business  College  was  founded  in  1909  by  Miss 
Maude  Lyons.  It  was  started  in  a  very  modest  way,  and 
its  growth  has  been  gradual  but  steady.  In  1915  the  col- 
lege was  sold  to  Mr.  R.  A.  Waitz. 

The  college  occupies  the  entire  second  and  third  floors 
of  the  Neustadt  building.  The  building  and  eciuipment 
are  modern  in  every  respect. 

This  institution  offers  three  courses,  the  Business 
Course,  the  Stenographic  Course  and  the  Secretarial 
Course. 

The  Business  Course  includes  Bookkeeping,  Wholesale 
Banking,  Penmanship,  Spelling,  Corporation  Work,  Com- 
mercial Arithmetic,  Retail  Partnership,  Cost  Accounting, 
Commercial  Law,  Rapid  Calculation,  Letter  Writing,  Office 
Practice. 

The  Stenographic  Course  includes  Shorthand,  Spelling, 
Letter  Writing,  Punctuation,  Business  English,  Writing, 
Mimeographing,  Office  Dictation,  Manifolding,  Addresso- 
graphing,  Civil  Service,  Law  Work. 


64  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

The  Secretarial  Course  combines  the  studies  in  the 
Business  and  Secretarial  Courses. 

Lyons  Business  College  gives  a  chance  to  older  people 
who  didn't  get  an  education,  by  offering  night  school. 

This  college  promotes  people  to  higher  ideals. 


BROWN'S  BUSINESS  COLLEGE 

Brown's  Business  College  was  founded  in  1884  by  H. 
S.  De  Soller,  who  later  sold  it  to  Horatio  Nelson,  a  resi- 
dent of  North  Carolina. 

In  the  October  of  1889  it  was  sold  to  the  late  G.  W. 
Brown,  becoming  at  that  time,  one  of  the  three  schools 
forming  the  triangle,  Jacksonville,  Peoria  and  Decatur. 
These  formed  the  beginning  of  a  chain  of  twenty-nine 
schools  owned  and  operated  by  Mr.  Brown. 

E.  P.  Irving  was  made  principal  at  the  time  Mr.  Brown 
became  owner  of  the  college.  He  remained  until  1894, 
when  H.  M.  Owen  became  its  principal.  In  May,  1914, 
Mr.  Owen  purchased  the  college  from  Mr.  Brown. 

The  school  is  located  on  the  corner  of  North  Main  and 
William  Streets,  in  the  old  Roberts  and  Green  library 
building. 

Brown's  Business  College  has  two  departments,  offer- 
ing four  courses.  They  are :  The  Stenographic  Course, 
the  Business  Course  and  the  Farm  Accounting  and  Com- 
bined Courses. 

The  Stenographic  Course  includes:  Shorthand,  English, 
Penmanship,  Rapid  Calculation,  Touch  Typewriting,  Spell- 
ing, Correspondence,  Filing,  Billing,  Adding  Machine  and 
Mimeograph  Practice, 

The  Business  Course  includes:  Bookkeeping,  Advanced 
Accounting,  Penmanship,  Rapid  Calculation,  Business  Eng- 
lish, Spelling,  Arithmetic,  Letter  Writing,  Commercial 
Law,   Salesmanship. 

The  Combined  Course  and  the  Farm  Accounting  Course 
have  about  the  same  branches  of  study  that  the  other 
courses  have. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  65 

Brown's  Business  College  has  seen  more  than  fourteen 
thousand  men  and  women  go  into  the  busy  world  with 
a  good  business  start.  Some  of  Decatur's  best  and  most 
prosperous  business  men  have  received  their  education 
here. 


JAMES  MILLIKIN  UNIVERSITY 

James  Millikin  University  was  founded  on  May  13,  1901, 
by  James  Millikin.  On  June  4,  1903,  it  was  dedicated  by 
Theodore  Roosevelt  and  was  opened  for  students  on  Sept. 
15,  1903. 

There  have  been  only  four  presidents  since  the  univer- 
sity opened.  Dr.  Taylor  was  first  president.  He  served 
from  1903  until  1913,  when  he  resigned  and  was  made 
President  Emeritus.  Dr.  Fellows  then  became  president 
and  kept  the  position  until  1915,  when  he  resigned.  Dr. 
Taylor  was  then  asked  by  the  Board  of  Trustees  to  come 
back  and  act  as  president  until  they  could  find  another  pres- 
ident. He  came  back  and  served  until  1918.  Dean  Hessler 
then  became  acting  president  and  served  from  June  2,  1919, 
until  Jan.  1,  1920,  when  Dr.  Holden  was  appointed. 

The  enrollment  for  the  first  year  was  seven  hundred 
twenty-nine.  It  grew  gradually  and  steadily  until  1919, 
when  there  were  one  thousand  five  hundred  thirty-eight 
students,  including  the  S.  A.  T.  C. 

When  the  university  opened  there  were  only  four  build- 
ings. They  were  the  Engineering  Hall,  the  Liberal  Arts 
Hall,  the  Domestic  Economy  Hall  and  the  Power  House. 
In  1908  Aston  Hall  was  added.  In  1910  the  shrubbery 
was  put  out.  In  1912  the  Gymnasium  and  the  Conserva- 
tory were  added. 

There  are  nine  schools,  supporting  twenty-one  depart- 
ments.    They  are  as  follows : 

The  School  of  Liberal  Arts 

The  School  of  Education 

The  School  of  Manual  Training 

The  School  of  Commerce  and  Finance 


66  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

The  School  of  Household  Arts 

The  School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Arts 

The  School  of  Engineering 

The  Conservatory  of  Music 

The  Academy. 

At  the  present  time  the  university  and  its  belongings 
are  worth  a  million  dollars. 

Millikin  is  trying  to  give  its  students  both  the  intellec- 
tual and  the  social  sides  of  life.  She  is  doing  this  through 
the  organizations  and  clubs  v^^hich  not  only  give  them 
pleasure,  but  also  help  them  in  their  studies.  The  literary 
societies  help  them  by  giving  prizes  for  the  best  work. 
The  organizations  and  clubs  are  as  follows: 

The  Students'  Council,  The  Adelphic  Society,  the  Young 
Women's  and  Men's  Christian  Associations,  The  Inter- 
League  Society,  L'Alliance  Francaise,  The  Athletic  Asso- 
ciation, The  Art  Guild,  the  Acolyte  Club  and  Students  Vol- 
unteer Band,  The  Men's  and  Women's  Glee  Clubs,  Ex  Post 
Facto,  Sororities  and  Fraternities,  Domestic  Economy  Club, 
Pi  Mu  Theta,  The  Commerce  and  Finance  Club,  The 
Masque  Dramatic  Organization,  Kappa  Society,  Seven 
Greek  Letter  Societies,  Manual  Training  Club,  The  Level 
Club,  The  Millikin  Club,  The  Alumni  Association,  Credit 
Societies  and  Clubs,  The  Literary  Societies,  The  Philo- 
mathean   Society,   The   Orlandian   Society. 

The  Kappa  Society  is  a  society  for  the  students  who 
have  won  high  honors.  The  members  of  each  graduating 
class  whose  grades  are  ninety-two  or  above  are  entitled  to 
join  the  society  and  may  wear  the  Kappa  Key.  There  are 
thirty-one  members  in  the  Kappa  Society.  H.  G.  Hudson 
was  first  president  of  the  society.  He  received  the  Rhodes 
Scholarship. 

Millikin  realizes  that  to  develop  the  students  mentally, 
she  must  also  develop  them  physically,  so  she  provides 
them  with  all  forms  of  athletics.  They  have  had  athletics 
since  1903.  The  equipment  is  of  the  very  best.  The  field 
is  one  hundred  eighty  yards  long  and  one  hundred  yards 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  67 

wide,  including  baseball  and  football  fields  and  one  quarter- 
mile  track.  Grandstand  and  bleachers  have  a  seating 
capacity  of  one  thousand  nine  hundred  twenty-five.  The 
gymnasium  was  built  in  1912.  It  is  one  hundred  feet  long 
and  fifty-five  feet  wide.  The  running  track  above  the  floor 
is  eighty  yards.  A  small  basketball  floor  is  being  fixed  up 
for  gymnastics.  James  N.  Ashmore  was  coach  from  1903 
to  1914.  N.  G.  Wann  has  been  coach  from  1915  to  1920. 
Miss  Mollie  Grubel  has  been  coach  of  the  girls  since  1903. 
The  athletics  are  under  control  of  the  Athletic  Board. 
This  board  consists  of  three  faculty  members,  two  students, 
one  graduate,  and  the  coach.  Each  team  has  a  student  and 
faculty  manager.  They  are  allowed  to  play  nine  football, 
five  basketball,  twelve  baseball  and  three  tracks.  Tennis 
has  no  limit.  Each  student  pays  five  dollars  for  athletics 
whether  he  wants  to  take  it  or  not.  The  students  get  a 
season  ticket  for  all  games. 

During  the  seventeen  years  that  they  have  had  ath- 
letics, they  have  won  five  football,  two  basketball,  five 
baseball,  two  tracks,  five  tennis  single  and  four  tennis 
double  championships.  These  were  taken  out  of  the  Little 
Nineteen  Conference. 

The  influence  of  the  university  on  Decatur  cannot  be 
measured.  Mayor  Borchers  said :  "The  chief  duty  of  a 
parent  is  to  give  his  child  or  children  the  benefits  of  an 
education,  and  the  parent  that  does  all  within  his  power 
to  give  his  children  the  benefits  of  an  education  are  usually 
of  the  highest  class  of  citizenship.  The  students  that  come 
for  the  purpose  of  attending  the  university  are  from  the 
best  families  and  their  presence  has  a  great  influence.  In 
short  the  influence  of  the  James  Millikin  University  has 
been  for  refinement,  advancement  and  improvement."  This 
has  also  been  the  opinion  of  many  others.  Its  influence 
can  not  be  limited.  It  is  felt  in  other  cities,  especially  in 
the  cities  from  which  the  students  come.  It  is  felt,  not 
only  in  Illinois,  but  in  the  whole  United  States  and  in 
various  parts  of  the  world. 


68  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

THE  UNIVERSITY  AS  AN   OPPORTUNITY 

To  bring  together  in  one  intellectual  community  a  group 
of  men  and  women  with  varying  professional  ideals,  and 
to  permit  those  men  and  women  through  their  association 
with  one  another  to  learn  something  of  the  breadth  of  life 
and  its  opportunities — this  is  one  of  the  aims  for  which 
the  James  Millikin  University  is  founded.  The  young  man 
who  is  a  student  in  Commerce  and  Finance  or  Manual 
Training  may  see  how  necessary  it  is  for  him  to  broaden 
and  deepen  his  intellectual  life,  while  the  young  woman 
in  Household  Arts  will  be  the  better  for  studying  her  chosen 
subject  in  an  institution  in  which  others  are  working  with 
equal  diligence  in  Music  or  Library  Science.  The  Liberal 
Arts  student  will  know  more  of  the  world  if  he  spends  his 
hours  in  a  library  where  Fine  Arts  and  Engineering  stu- 
dents are  also  reading.  All  of  these  young  p.eople  may 
thus  plan  their  courses  so  as  to  fit  themselves  not  merely 
to  serve  in  a  chosen  sphere  of  this  world's  activity,  but  to 
live  a  full  life  of  appreciation. 

It  is  the  glory  of  the  "small  college"  that  such  an  asso- 
ciation is  more  possible  than  in  the  great  universities, 
where,  of  necessity,  the  various  members  are  more  or  less 
separated.  The  spirit  of  learning  is  a  thing  of  contagion ; 
culture  goes  from  personality  to  personality  almost  with- 
out means.  Association  with  men  and  women  who  have 
already  caught  the  spirit  of  learning  is  the  surest  method 
of  education.  This  education  by  personality  is  the  privi- 
lege of  such  an  institution  as  this  university,  where  num- 
bers are  small  enough  and  contact  frequent  enough  to 
permit  its  progress. 

If  the  student  catch  from  the  members  of  the  college 
an  intellectual  zest,  uprightness  in  character,  purity  and 
lofty  ideals  of  Christian  service,  he  has  a  great  background 
for  a  life  of  efficiency  in  a  chosen  professional  field,  and 
such  efficiency — the  power  to  serve  discriminatingly  and 
accurately — it  is  the  other  great  aim  of  the  University  to 
give. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  69 

OFFICERS  OF  ADMINISTRATION  AND  THE 
UNIVERSITY  COUNCIL 

L.  E.  Holden,  President. 

John  Charles  Hessler,  Ph.D.,  Dean  and  Professor  of 
Chemistry. 

Lillian  Merrill  Walker,  A.B.,  Dean  of  Women. 

Calvert  Welch  Dyer,  A.B.,  Secretary  and  Auditor. 

Lucile  Margaret  Bragg,  A.M.,  Recorder. 

Eugenia  Allin,  B.L.S.,  Professor  of  Library  Science  and 
Librarian. 

Bonnie  Rebecca  Blackburn,  A.B.,  Professor  of  French. 

Robert  Edmund  Brannan,  B.S.,  Director  of  Athletics 
and  Instructor  in  Physical  Training. 

Lorell  Mortimer  Cole,  Professor  of  Manual  Training. 

Grace  Patton  Conant,  Litt.D.,  Professor  of  English. 

Mabel  Dunlap,  B.S.,  Professor  of  Household  Arts. 

Luther  Bateman  Henderson,  A.M.,  Professor  of  Phil- 
osophy. 

Alexander  Paul  Kelso,  B.D.,  B.S.,  Professor  of  Biblical 
History  and  Literature. 

Robert  Wuest  Lahr,  Professor  of  Theory  and  Practice 
of  Art. 

Davida  McCaslin,  A.M.,  Professor  of  Rhetoric  and  Eng- 
lish Composition. 

Lawrence  M.  McDermott,  A.M.,  Professor  of  Commerce. 

Isabella  Thompson  Machan,  A.M.,  Professor  of  Latin 
and  Greek. 

Albert  Taylor  Mills,  LL.B.,  A.M.,  Professor  of  History 
and  Political  Science. 

Walter  John  Risley,  A.M.,  Professor  of  Mathematics. 

Emmet  E.  Roberts,  M.A.,  Professor  of  Public  Speaking. 

William  Wilberforce  Smith,  A.M.,  LL.D.,  Professor  of 
Economics. 


70  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

Fred  D.  Townsley,  A.B.,  Professor  of  Physics. 

Ansel  Augustus  Tyler,  Ph.D.,  Professor  of  Biology. 

Arthur  Wald,  A.B.,  Professor  of  Modern  Languages. 

Olive  Minerva  Young,  A.M.,  Professor  of  Plousehold 
Arts. 

GENERAL  REQUIREMENTS  FOR  ENTRANCE  AND 
GRADUATION 

Admission  to  the  Freshman  Class 

A.  By  examination  on  fifteen  units  of  work  required 
and  elective  for  the  various  schools  as  designated  below^. 

The  day  preceding  and  the  day  of  opening  of  each 
semester  are  regular  examination  days. 

B.  By  certificate  of  graduation  from  accredited  high 
schools  or  other  schools  of  equivalent  rank,  with  fifteen 
units  of  work.  Blanks  for  such  certification  will  be  fur- 
nished on  application. 

A  unit  represents  one  year's  work  of  thirty-six  weeks, 
five  hours  per  week,  of  forty  minutes  each,  or  the  equiv- 
alent in  laboratory  practice. 

These  fifteen  units  are  to  include  prescribed  and  elec- 
tive work.  Certain  work  is  prescribed  for  all  schools ;  some 
is  prescribed,  in  addition,  for  admission  to  individual 
schools;  the  rest  of  the  fifteen  units  may  be  made  up 
from  the  Electives. 

1.     Units  Prescribed  for  All  Schools 

History    1  unit 

English    3  units 

Geometry,  Plane  1  unit 

Algebra    1  unit 

Algebra  as  a  prerequisite  for  college  mathematics 
or  for  courses   with   college   mathematics   as   a 

prerequisite    1|  units 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  71 

2.     Units  Prescribed  for  Individual  Schools 

School  of  Liberal  Arts 
Classical — 

One  foreign  language 2     units 

Chemistry  or  Physics  for  those  who  take  Col- 
lege Chemistry    1     unit 

Scientific — 

Science  including  Physics  or  Chemistry 2     units 

School  of  Education 

Foreign  language   2     units 

Science    1     unit 


E-bhiA  cRAn)3To/w  ee  vo 


E-THE-L  STRONu  Qf\  '20 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  73 

CHAPTER  III 
INSTITUTIONAL  DECATUR 

MACON  COUNTY  HOSPITAL 

The  Macon  County  Hospital  is  located  on  an  ideal  site 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  city.  The  grounds  are  large 
and  contain  many  fine  old  trees  which  make  a  lovely  park. 
It  is  close  to  two  car  lines,  but  has  the  quiet  of  the  country. 

Twenty  years  ago  Macon  County  felt  the  need  of  a 
new  hospital.  Decatur  was  rapidly  growing.  St.  Mary's 
Hospital,  being  the  only  one  in  the  city,  could  not  accom- 
modate all  the  patients  requiring  attention.  It  was  through 
the  •  efforts  of  Mrs.  Sue  Hagaman,  sometimes  called  the 
"Mother  of  the  Hospital,"  that  the  work  was  started  and 
the  first  association  organized.  This  was  called  the  Beth- 
saida  Association.  In  1907  the  name  was  changed  to  the 
Macon  County  Hospital  Association.  In  1908  the  name 
was  changed  to  the  Decatur  and  Macon  County  Hospital 
Association.  This  association  worked  hard  to  raise  funds 
for  the  structure  of  the  building.  By  1911  enough  money 
had  been  raised  to  start  the  work. 

On  November  16,  1911,  the  first  shovel  of  dirt  was 
turned  by  Mrs.  Hagaman.  On  Thanksgiving  Day,  Novem- 
ber 28,  1912,  the  cornerstone  was  laid.  On  January  1, 
1916,  the  building  was  opened  for  patients.  The  need  of 
a  larger  building  was  felt  so  an  eastern  wing  was  built 
and  opened  to  patients  March  17,  1918. 

August  9,  1915,  Miss  R.  Helen  Cleland  of  Boston  was 
engaged  as  superintendent  and  later  Miss  Ethel  Goss,  also 
of  Boston,  was  made  assistant  superintendent. 

This  hospital  can  accommodate  one  hundred  and  sixteen 
patients.  The  average  number  of  patients  is  from  ninety 
to  ninety-seven.  The  first  floor  of  the  building  has  an 
operating  room  for  eyes,  ears,  nose,  and  throat.  Clinical 
work  is  also  done  here.  The  second  floor  has  the  chil- 
dren's department,  medical  and  surgical  departments. 


74  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

The  third  floor  has  the  obstetrical  room,  nurses'  depart- 
ment and  operating^  departments.  The  operating  depart- 
ment consists  of  two  large  and  one  small  room,  the  instru- 
ment room,  etherizing  room,  doctors'  and  supply  room. 

The  public  clinic,  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  Neece  and 
Mrs.  Sweeney,  is  held  in  this  hospital.  Two  mornings, 
one  afternoon  and  one  evening  of  each  week  the  clinic 
has  operations  on  eyes,  ears,  nose,  and  throat.  One  day 
a  week  is  given  to  crippled  children  and  Red  Cross  work. 
One  afternoon  each  week  tubercular  patients  are  treated. 

The  Nurses'  Training  School  was  organized  January 
1,  1916,  with  eighteen  nurses  selected  by  the  faculty. 
Twelve  nurses  graduated  with  honor  April  1,  1918.  Seven 
of  these  are  now  in  the  hospital  filling  responsible  positions. 
Two  are  doing  public  health  work.  The  others  are  filling 
positions  in  other  hospitals.  A  new  home  for  nurses' on 
the  hospital  grounds  will  be  completed  April  1,  1920.  It 
will  be  one  of  the  best  in  the  state.  It  contains  private 
rooms  for  the  nurses,  reception  room,  living  room,  library, 
sleeping  porches,  gymnasium,  class  room,  dining  room,  and, 
kitchen.  A  matron  will  be  appointed  to  take  charge  of 
the  home. 

It  is  planned  to  increase  the  size  of  the  hospital  in 
the  future.  A  tuberculosis  building,  a  contagious  build- 
ing, and  an  old  people's  building  will  be  constructed.  A 
new  wing  to  the  main  building  will  be  built  for  medical 
and  surgical  patients. 


WELFARE  HOME 

The  Welfare  Home  is  located  in  the  800  block  on  South 
Broadway,  which  is  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  city 
of  Decatur. 

In  1916  a  home  for  friendless  girls  was  opened  at  1339 
North  Main.  A  larger  building  was  desired,  so  the  trustees 
of  the  Millikin  Estate  donated  the  old  Turner  Hall  and 
grounds  for  the  purpose  of  giving  these  girls  a  larger  and 
more  beautiful  home. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  75 

The  Welfare  Home  Board  raised  the  funds  by  personal 
contributions  for  the  remodeling  of  this  building.  This 
building  was  completed  in  1919  and  opened  to  the  girls 
November  11,  1919. 

It  is  a  beautiful  structure  containing  twenty-five  beau- 
tifully furnished  rooms. 

This  is  not  a  permanent  home,  but  a  temporary  home 
for  girls  who  are  kept  until  they  obtain  employment,  or 
are  placed  in  permanent  homes. 

Children  in  this  home  are  taught  habits  of  cleanliness 
and  industry,  and  are  trained  to  be  desirable  citizens. 

When  the  Welfare  Home  was  first  opened  in  1916,  Mrs. 
Jennie'  Kriedler  gave  one  year  of  service  as  matron  free 
of  charge.  She  was  very  sincere  in  her  work  and  much 
success  of  the  home  was  due  to  her  efforts.  She  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Mrs.  Myrtle  Edwards.  The  present  matron  is 
Mrs.  Orra  Maddox. 

The  funds  for  the  support  of  this  home  are  obtained 
from  Macon  County,  Decatur,  Social  Service  Bureau,  and 
by  private  contributions.  The  county  and  city  pay  this 
money  for  the  support  of  children  sent  there  by  the  courts. 

Any  children  under  twenty  years  of  age  can  enter  this 
home.  The  average  number  is  about  twenty-five.  At 
present  there  are  twenty-nine  children.  Many  children 
stay  for  only  a  few  weeks  or  less,  while  some  stay  for  a 
much  longer  period  of  time. 

The  home  has  been  a  great  aid  in  caring  for  the  home- 
less children  of  Decatur  and  Macon  County. 


PYTHIAN  HOME 

The  Pythian  Home,  a  home  for  orphaned  children  of 
Knights  of  Pythias  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  is  located  in 
Decatur,  Illinois. 

The  Home  is  beautifully  situated  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  city. 

It  is  on  North  Union  Street  and  may  be  reached  on 
either  the  Pythian  Home  or  Edward  Street  car  lines. 


76  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


The  location  of  the  home  is  excellent,  owing  to  the 
quietness,  the  nearness  to  the  Oglesby  School  which  the 
children  of  grade  school  age  attend,  and  the  spacious  play- 
grounds which  it  is  possible  for  the  home  to  possess. 

This  beautiful  building  was  completed  in  1910.  The 
cornerstone  was  laid  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Illinois  Knights 
of  Pythias  on  June  9th,  1908. 

The  home  was  dedicated  on  June  9th,  1910.  The  Board 
of  Directors  at  the  time  of  dedication  were :  John  J.  Reeve, 
Jacksonville,  111. ;  Edward  R.  Wrights,  Taylorville,  111. ; 
Nickolas  M.  Green,  Chicago,  111. ;  Smith  L.  Von  Possum, 
Beardstown,  111. ;  James  W.  Carter,  Decatur,  111. 

The  building  cost  $200,000.  It  is  constructed  of  red 
brick,  and  is  of  the  old  English  type.  There  are  over  one 
hundred  rooms  in  the  structure,  and  are  arranged  on  five 
floors. 

The  first  floor  is  used  for  work  rooms  and  store  rooms. 
The  offices,  dining  rooms,  kitchen,  parlors,  library,  sewing 
room,  and  reception  rooms  take  up  the  second  or  main 
floor. 

The  boys  department  and  auditorium  occupy  the  third 
floor,  while  the  girls  occupy  the  fourth.  The  fifth  floor  is 
used  as  a  hospital. 

Some  of  the  rooms  in  the  home  are  especially  attractive 
being  decorated  in  the  colors  of  the  home,  red,  yellow,  and 
blue. 

To  the  west  of  the  building  are  found  the  farm,  power 
house,  poultry  houses,  etc.  To  the  north  is  a  beautiful 
natural  park  containing  forty  acres.  In  this  park  are 
found  ash,  red  haw,  oak,  maple,  and  elm  trees. 

Children  who  live  at  the  home  must  be  the  children 
of  Knights  of  Pythias  of  Illinois.  No  child  can  enter  under 
the  age  of  two  years  nor  above  the  age  of  twelve  years. 
These  children  may  live  at  the  home  until  they  reach  the 
cge  of  eighteen.  The  first  children  to  enter  the  new  home, 
came  in  1911.  There  are  at  present  forty  girls  and  sixteen 
boys,  making  fifty-six  in  all. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR 


These  children  have  many  educational  advantages. 
Along  with  their  school  courses,  those  talented  along  other 
lines  are  given  private  lessons  in  music,  reading,  dancing, 
sewing,  etc. 

The  superintendent  at  the  present  time  is  Mr.  Clifton 
Hatch.  Mrs.  Hatch  is  the  matron.  There  are  three  gov- 
ernesses, a  housekeeper,  a  seamstress,  and  other  helpers. 
•    Thursdays  and   Sundays  are   visiting  days. 


ANNA  B.  MILLIKIN  HOME 

The  Anna  B.  Millikin  Home,  a  home  for  orphan  girls, 
is  located  in  the  200  block  Oakland  Avenue,  in  the  western 
part  of  the  city  of  Decatur. 

This  is  a  very  good  location  for  such  an  institution  be- 
cause it  is  near  a  good  car  line  and  is  surrounded  by  large 
grounds  which  give  the  required  privacy. 

The  first  home  was  located  on  the  corner  of  Sangamon 
and  Lowber  Streets. 

This  building  was  originally  a"  hotel  but  was  donated 
by  Mr.  James  Millikin  for  the  purpose  of  giving  a  home 
to  girls. 

Later  a  need  for  a  better  home  was  felt  so  Mr.  Millikin 
gave  the  three  acres  on  which  the  new  building  now  stands. 
He  also  donated  $15,000  for  the  structure  of  the  building, 
while  the  city  of  Decatur  gave  the  other  $10,000. 

The  cornerstone  was  laid  May  24,  1900,  by  the  Masonic 
fraternity.  The  building  is  of  brick  structure.  There  are 
fifty  rooms  in  it,  which  are  arranged  on  four  floors. 

At  present  there  are  thirty-six  children  and  three  old 
women  in  the  home. 

Girls  who  enter  this  home  must  be  between  four  and 
sixteen  years. 

Each  girl  in  the  home  is  given  a  task  to  perform  each 
day  and  is  thus  trained  in  the  duties  which  every  girl 
needs. 


78 


CITY    OF    DECATUR 


The  home  is  supported  by  the  money  obtained  from 
Macon  County  for  dependent  children,  by  money  paid  by 
a  parent  for  the  keeping  of  independent  children,  by  interest 
on  a  $9,000  endowment,  and  by  donation.  A  large  amount 
of  donations  is  received  each  year. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stevens  were  in  charge  of  the  home  at 
the  time  of  the  opening.  Miss  Speers  and  Miss  Caldwell 
have  served  as  matrons. 

Mrs.  Maude  Turner,  from  the  Glenwood  School  of  Chi- 
cago, is  the  present  matron,  taking  charge  Feb.  1,  1920. 


1^    .. 

T' 

»r^ 

a. 

t 

lOc/is  oi^osr  SH  ao 


Ly    8/\r\tRSB'20 


The  smoke  from  the  chimneys, 
Curling  upward  to  the  skies, 

Helps  represent  industries 

Where  the  Spirit  of  Decatur  lies. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  79 

CHAPTER  IV 
INDUSTRIAL   DECATUR 

FOREWORD 

The  purpose  of  writing  this  chapter  about  "Industrial 
Decatur"  is  to  teach  the  children  and  adults  more  about 
their  city  and  to  arouse  an  even  greater  pride  in  it. 

The  material  for  this  chapter  has  been  collected  from 
the  heads  of  the  manufacturing  companies,  the  rooms  of 
the  different  schools  asking  these  men  to  come  and  talk 
about  the  factories.  Another  way  they  gathered  the  ma- 
terial was  to  write  letters  to  the  firms  asking  them  (jues- 
tions  and  requesting  literature. 

Decatur  has  no  reason  for  not  being  an  industrial 
center,  as  it  can  fulfill  all  the  conditions  necessary  for 
manufacturing.  There  are  five  of  these  conditions,  which 
are,  nearness  to  raw  material,  means  of  transportation, 
plenty  of  labor,  plenty  of  coal  or  water  power,  and  nearby 
markets. 

It  can  get  nearly  all  the  raw  material  nearby,  as  it  is 
in  the  center  of  the  corn-producing  region,  and  the  other 
kinds  of  material  can  be  obtained  very  easily  with  the  help 
of  her  splendid  railroad  system. 

In  1852  Decatur  had  her  first  railroad.  Then  the  popu- 
lation of  all  Macon  County  was  4,000.  Twenty  years  after 
railroads,  Decatur's  population  by  herself  was  2200.  It  is 
now  almost  50,000,  and  it  has  four  main  railroads,  and 
twelve  branches.  As  it  has  such  a  large  population,  it  has 
plenty  of  men  to  work  in  the  factories. 

It  has  coal  mines,  therefore  it  has  plenty  of  power  to 
run  the  machinery.  After  the  articles  are  finished,  her 
trains  will  carry  them  to  the  nearby  markets. 

Anyone  knowing  the  leading  industries  of  to-day  would 
like  to  know  how  Decatur  grew. 

The  first  house  that  was  ever  built  in  Decatur  was  in 
1831 ;  this  house  was  southeast  of  town.     Land  then  sold 


80  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

for  twenty-five  cents  per  acre.     Now  it  sells  as  high  as 
six  hundred  dollars  per  acre. 

Eight  years  after  the  first  house  was  built  there  was 
an  ox-mill  established.  The  mill  was  southeast  of  town, 
and  was  run  by  oxen;  therefore  it  was  given  the  name 
ox-mill.  They  ground  the  corn  faster  than  they  could  sell 
it,  because  the  shipping  was  so  poor. 

A  lime  kiln  was  established  in  1842.  It  was  built 
southwest  of  town.  Mr.  Allen  bought  the  mill  and  sold 
lime  to  Springfield.  It  was  carried  by  wagons  and  the 
roads  were  very  poor. 

In  1865  the  Union  Iron  Works  was  founded.  This  fac- 
tory is  still  in  Decatur.  The  factory  was  owned  by  C.  C. 
Burrows,  James  Millikin,  John  M.  Flood,  and  Charles 
Gradewell. 

In  1865  the  Bag  Co.  was  founded.  The  cotton  bags 
that  the  bag  factory  made  were  used  by  the  Southerners 
who  plucked  cotton. 

The  Decatur  Furniture  Co.  was  established  in  1866. 
It  employed  one  hundred  men  and  they  worked  twelve 
hours  a  day  and  their  trade  was  about  $150,000. 

Three  years  later,  in  1869,  the  Hayworth  Check-rower 
was  founded,  and  manufactured  a  corn  planter  which 
dropped  corn  in  rows.  This  factory  is  no  longer  in  opera- 
tion. 

The  Decatur  Cofifin  Co.  was  established  in  1872.  It 
was  owned  by  T.  T.  Roberts,  Mr.  Green,  and  Mr.  Robert 
Lytle. 

The  H.  Mueller  Manufacturing  Co.  was  established  in 
1874.  It  was  built  northwest  of  town,  before  we  ever 
needed  plumbing  goods  such  as  they  make  now,  they  at 
that  time  making  guns.  Having  given  some  idea  of  our 
industrial  growth,  it  is  interesting  to  know  that  Decatur 
now  has  more  than  eighty-eight  well  established  factories 
and  others  developing  rapidly.  Decatur  was  first  to  make 
fly  swatters,  hog  wringers,  slot  machines,  water  tapping 
machines,  check-rowers,  wire  mats,  cattle  dehorners,  first 
burial  slippers  and  three-row  corn  planters,  while  we  also 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  81 

had  the  first  corn  oil  and  cereal  mills.  Decatur  ranks  very 
high  in  some  things.  Muellers  rank  first  in  all  the  world 
in  manufacturing  of  plumbing  goods.  Decatur  is  the  larg- 
est corn  milling  city  also.  It  ranks  second  in  the  manu- 
facturing of  soda  fountains  and  is  rapidly  coming  to  the 
front. 

Because  of  our  splendid  industrial  development  we 
were  able  to  do  our  bit  during  the  World's  crisis.  It  is 
impossible  to  mention  all  the  factories  that  helped  in  the 
World  War,  but  we  will  mention  a  few.  Muellers  helped 
by  making  parts  for  shells,  Leader  Iron  Works  helped  by 
making  parts  for  submarines  and  ships,  while  Decatur  Tent 
and  Awning  Co.  made  coal  bags  to  hold  coal  for  ships. 
The  Wabash  shops  repaired  Government  engines.  This 
was  an  important  work,  because  transportation  was  a  vital 
thing  during  the  war. 


82  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


LEADER  IRON  WORKS 

As  people  became  more  progressive,  they  began  to  pay 
more  attention  to  the  importance  of  proper  sanitation  and 
conveniences  about  their  homes  and  began  to  demand  bet- 
ter living  conditions.  One  of  the  chief  necessities  in  this 
progress  is  a  water  system. 

The  founders  of  the  Leader  Iron  Works  had  a  water 
supply  system  to  offer  to  every  farm  and  suburban  home 
in  the  country,  which  did  not  have  the  conveniences  of 
a  water  system  furnished  to  them  by  a  city  water  works. 

In  looking  for  a  desirable  location  the  city  of  Decatur 
attracted  the  manager  of  the  Leader  Iron  Works  for  sev- 
eral reasons.  First,  it  offered  as  a  railroad  center,  excel- 
lent shipping  facilities  for  the  receiving  of  its  raw  materials 
which  came  chiefly  from  Chicago  and  Pittsburg  milling 
districts,  also  for  the  shipping  of  its  finished  products  to 
other  cities.  It  also  offered  an  available  supply  of  fuel 
close  at  hand.  In  addition  to  this,  Decatur  was  located 
in  the  center  of  the  great  middle  west  agricultural  section, 
which  brought  most  of  its  products  here  for  market,  and 
having  the  advantage  over  many  other  manufacturing 
cities  it  offered  good  housing  conditions  for  employees. 
This  overcame  many  of  the  hardships  encountered  in  the 
congestion  of  the  larger  cities. 

Decatur  with  these  advantages  was  an  excellent  place 
to  establish  a  factory.  The  company  therefore  organized 
here  in  nineteen  hundred  three,  with  a  force  of  about 
fifteen  men. 

As  the  desire  for  better  living  conditions  became  more 
general  and  through  persistent  advertising,  the  advantages 
and  conveniences  of  the  I^eader  Water  System,  its  value 
and  importance  was  carried  to  all  the  people,  throughout 
the  nation,  and  business  began  to  develop  rajiidly  until 
now  there  are  about  seventy-five  of  our  principal  cities 
that  sell  stocks  of  the  Leader  Water  System  to  adjoining 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  83 

territories.  Chief  among  these  cities  are  New  York,  Min- 
neapolis,  New  Orleans,   Nashville  and   San   Francisco. 

Although  a  somewhat  limited  interest  is  shown  by 
foreign  countries  in  appliances  of  this  kind  they  are  in- 
stalling this  water  system.  Canada,  Cuba,  Mexico  and 
South  America  are  showing  a  growing  interest. 

Since  the  oil  industry  has  become  so  important  there 
has  grown  a  demand  for  oil  storage  tanks.  The  Leader 
people  have  been  helping  meet  this  demand  by  the  output 
of  a  number  of  specialties  in  sheet  steel  for  the  oil  pro- 
ducing territories. 

In  order  to  meet  the  promising  demand  for  their  pro- 
ducts the  Leader  people  have  just  let  out  a  contract  for 
enlarging  their  factory.  This  building  is  to  be  lighted  in 
the  most  modern  and  efficient  manner,  and  equipped  with 
the  most  modern  conveniences  ofifered  for  carrying  on 
their  industry.  This  new  addition  to  the  old  factory  will 
triple  their  capacity  for  work  and  will  necessitate  the 
employment  of  from  five  hundred  to  one  thousand  men. 
The  total  investment  in  this  improvement  will  amount  to 
two  hundred  thousand  dollars. 


H.  MUELLER  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 

The  H.  Mueller  Manufacturing  Company,  the  largest 
factory  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  bears  the  name  of  its 
founder,  Mr.  Hieronymus  Mueller. 

Mr.  Mueller  was  born  in  Germany  in  1832.  He  was 
a  member  of  quite  a  large  family.  His  life  was  very  much 
like  the  life  of  other  boys  until  his  father  was  placed  in 
jail  for  saying  something  against  the  royal  family.  He 
was  then  taken  and  educated  by  the  State.  He  was  placed 
in  a  school  in  which  he  was  trained  to  be  a  mechanic.  In 
1852  he  came  to  America  to  work  at  his  trade  because 
he  knew  that  this  was  a  free  country.  Some  time  after- 
wards, his  mother  joined  him  and  they  lived  here  until 
his  death  in  1900. 


84  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


He  followed  his  trade  at  first  in  Chicago  and  later  in 
Freeport,  Illinois.  In  1857  he  started  a  gun  shop  on  West 
Main  Street.  The  country  around  Decatur  at  this  time 
was  covered  with  woods  and  prairie  grass.  The  people 
lived  on  wild  game.  There  was,  therefore,  a  great  de- 
mand for  guns.  He  made  the  flint-lock  guns.  The  ma- 
terials for  these  had  to  be  brought  from  the  Middle  At- 
lantic States.  As  railroads  were  built  his  business  grew 
until  he  had  to  move  to  larger  quarters  on  North  Water 
Street  and  later  to  East  Main  Street  where  Linn  and 
Scruggs'  store  now  stands.  At  this  time  he  built  an  eight 
horsepower  engine,  and  later,  a  twenty  horsepower  one 
to  furnish  motive  power  for  his  business.  This  engine 
was  used  as  late  as  1907  by  the  Decatur  Candy  Company. 

His  genius  in  constructing  engines  helped  him  to  make 
an  invention  that  Decatur  needed.  By  this  time  the  land 
had  been  cleared  and  drained,  railroads  were  built  and 
the  country  was  becoming  a  farming  region.  Decatur  had 
grown  so  large  that  a  water  plant  was  needed.  It  was 
becoming  an  agricultural  center.  The  mayor  of  the  city 
appointed  Mr.  Mueller  city  water  tapper.  He  was  not 
satisfied  with  the  simple  method  of  making  connections 
in  the  water  system.  It  was  at  this  time  that  he  invented 
a  water-tapping  machine  which  was  approved  by  the  city. 

Because  of  his  experience  as  a  gunsmith  he  was  able 
to  begin  the  manufacture  of  water-tapping  machines.  At 
first  it  was  very  simple,  but  at  present  it  consists  of  over 
fifty  parts.  The  machines  proved  to  be  very  satisfactory. 
It  was  not  long  until  there  was  a  great  demand  for  them 
from  cities  all  over  the  Central  States  that  had  water  works. 
It  was  not  long  before  he  started  a  small  brass  foundry 
for  making  corporation  cocks  that  would  work  more  suc- 
cessfully with  the  water-tapping  machine.  This  has  grown 
to  be  one  of  the  principal  departments  of  the  business. 
After  enlarging  the  factory  and  removing  it  to  Merchant 
Street,  he  placed  each  of  his  five  sons  at  the  head  of  one 
of  the  departments.  This  partly  accounts  for  the  growth 
of  the  business  because  each  son  took  a  special  pride  in 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  85 


his  department.  With  this  increase  in  business  The  H. 
Mueller  Manufacturing  Company  was  organized  in  1893 
with  a  capital  stock  of  $68,000.  The  principal  manufac- 
tured product  at  this  date  was  the  corporation  cock.  One 
company  alone  placed  an  order  for  10,000  cocks  annually. 
To  supply  the  increasing  demand,  they  found  it  necessary 
to  move  to  the  corner  of  Cerro  Gordo  and  North  College 
Streets,  where  the  factory  now  stands. 

Since  that  time  a  power  plant  and  warehouse  have 
been  erected  to  meet  the  increasing  demand  for  water, 
gas,  and  plumbing  supplies  which  were  now  being  man- 
ufactured. With  the  opening  of  coal  mines,  Decatur  was 
demanding  gas  supplies  as  well  as  plumbing  supplies.. 
New  buildings  are  being  added  every  year  as  business  de- 
mands it. 

Besides  the  plant  in  Decatur  there  are  branch  factories 
in  Sarnia,  Canada,  and  Port  Huron,  Michigan.  .Sarnia  was 
a  promising  center  for  the  Canadian  trade.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  establish  this  branch  factory  because  of  the  high 
rates  of  shipping  from  the  United  States  into  Canada. 
Sarnia  and  Port  Huron  are  near  the  sources  of  raw  ma- 
terials and  are  favorably  situated  for  transportation  over 
the  land  or  water  routes. 

The  water,  gas,  and  plumbing  supplies  are  manufac- 
tured partly  of  copper  which  comes  from  the  copper  mines 
of  Lake  Superior.  This  can  easily  be  shipped  by  railroad 
to  Decatur.  The  lead  and  zinc  used  come  from  the  mines 
of  Montana,  Missouri,  and  Arizona.  Tin,  which  is  mixed 
with  other  materials,  is  imported  from  India. 

To  meet  the  demands  of  the  business,  the  company 
employed  about  sixty  men  in  1895 ;  two  hundred  forty  in 
1900;  at  present  there  are  about  725  employees.  In  The 
Mueller  Fiftieth  Anniversary  Year  Book  published  in 
1907,  it  is  stated  that  in  that  year  the  company  paid  more 
in  wages  than  was  appropriated  for  the  yearly  expenses 
of  the  city. 

The  company  has  the  latest  and  best  mechanical  de- 
vices and  electrically-driven  machinery.     A  rest  room,  tech- 


86  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


nical  and  trade  literature,  an  Aid  Society,  and  a  monthly 
magazine,  are  some  of  the  lines  of  welfare  work  which  is 
being  carried  on  in  the  factory. 

In  the  World  War  all  three  factories  rendered  their 
services.  The  factory  in  Decatur  made  fuses  for  three- . 
inch  shells.  As  each  fuse  had  seventeen  parts  it  was  very 
delicate  work.  An  experimental  department  carries  on  ex- 
periments to  improve  the  work  in  each  department.  Within 
the  last  few  years  they  have  discovered  that  forging  the 
metal  produces  better  results  than  casting  because  in  forg- 
ing the  particles  of  metal  are  made  more  compact  and 
will  therefore  withstand  more  pressure. 

All  the  products  of  the  factory  are  closely  inspected 
and  tested.  At  the  World's  Fair  in  1904  the  company 
had  an  exhibit  of  water,  gas,  and  plumbing  goods  in  the 
Manufacturer's  Palace.  They  were  given  two  grand  awards 
for  the  quality,  workmanship,  and  design  of  their  goods. 

Soon  after  this  an  office  was  opened  in  New  York  to 
handle  trade  of  Eastern  United  States  and  also  that  of 
foreign  lands  which  increased  rapidly  after  the  Fair.  It 
is  a  great  advantage  to  have  an  office  near  a  port  rather 
than  in  an  inland  city  like  Decatur  since  goods  are  shipped 
to  practically  every  civilized  nation  in  the  world.  The 
largest  shipments  are  made  to  those  countries  having 
numerous  water  works,  as  England,  France,  etc.  They 
also  send  large  shipments  to  Buenos  Ayres,  Calcutta,  Sid- 
ney, Constantinople,  South  Africa,  Tokio,  Havana,  King- 
ston, Manila,  Canton,  and  many  other  cities.  They  do 
not  have  large  shipments  to  South  America  and  Mexico, 
as  there  are  only  about  seventy  water  works  in  South 
America  and  a  very  few  in  Mexico.  The  people  do  not 
demand  them  because  they  are  not  studying  health  con- 
ditions and  do  not  feel  the  need  for  plumbing  and  supplies. 

In  order  to  supply  the  increasing  demands  in  our  own 
and  other  countries,  the  company  is  planning  to  place  their 
factory  along  the  Sangamon  River  within  three  years'  time. 
Here  they  will  have  seven  hundred  fifty  acres  of  land. 
They  expect   their  trade   to  increase   so  much   that  they 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  87 

will  need  men  outside  their  family  to  help  manage  the 
business  of  the  company. 

Such  has  been  the  result  of  a  single  man's  ability  as 
a  mechanic;  at  first,  supplying  the  needs  of  a  city;  then 
later  helping  to  supply  the  needs  of  the  world.  The  world 
will  continue  to  grow  in  its  needs,  too,  as  its  education 
for  more  sanitary  conditions  increases  all  over  the  world. 


THE  STALEY  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 

One  of  the  largest  and  most  important  manufacturing 
establishments  of  Decatur,  Illinois,  is  The  Staley  Starch 
Works.  It  is  not  only  the  largest  in  Decatur  but  it  is 
the  largest  factory  of  its  kind  in  the  world. 

This  factory  employs  over  2200  people  and  manufac- 
tures over  1,000,000  pounds  of  starch  in  twenty-four  hours. 
Although  the  most  important  product,  starch  is  not  the 
only  one,  as  there  are  by-products  such  as  feed  and  oil 
cake.  In  addition  to  these  products  the  company  is  pre- 
paring to  manufacture  corn  syrup,  sugar,  and  candy. 

To  supply  this  factory  with  raw  material  it  requires 
a  large  quantity  of  corn  which  is  easily  obtained  from  the 
farming  district  surrounding  this  city.  In  order  to  keep 
the  necessary  supply  they  have  fourteen  storage  elevators 
each  of  which  holds  75,000  bushels  of  corn.  The  corn  is 
carried  from  these  elevators  on  a  belt  to  the  steep  house 
where  it  is  put  in  large  tanks  which  hold  25,000  bushels. 
There  are  twenty-four  of  these  tanks.  The  corn  is  sfeeped 
forty-eight  hours  until  it  becomes  soft.  Then  it  is  carried 
to  the  grinders. 

These  grinders  of  which  there  are  ten  in  the  feed  house, 
were  made  to  take  care  of  15,000  bushels  daily  although 
they  have  a  record  of  26,000  bushels  in  twenty-four  hours 
and  they  ground  727,000  bushels  this  month  (January, 
1920).  At  the  present  price  this  represents  a  value  of  al- 
most one  million  dollars. 


88  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


From  the  grinders  it  goes  to  the  mill-house  where  it 
is  run  through  reels  where  the  coarse  parts — the  husk  and 
germ — are  taken  out.  It  is  next  run  over  screens  made 
of  silk  where  it  is  again  separated  and  it  is  then  carried 
through  pipes  to  the  table  house  where  it  is  run  into 
troughs.  The  starch  being  the  heavier  part  settles  to  the 
bottom  and  most  of  the  gluten  runs  off  and  the  starch 
which  is  left  in  the  bottom  becomes  solid. 

This  is  now  shoveled  by  men  on  a  belt  and  is  carried 
to  the  kiln  house.  Here  it  is  put  in  trays  and  loaded  on 
tram  cars  and  pushed  into  the  kiln  to  dry.  It  is  left  in 
this  kiln  from  eighteen  to  thirty-six  hours,  after  which  it 
is  dumped  onto  another  belt  and  carried  to  the  powder 
house  where  it  is  run  through  a  set  of  screens  to  a  heated 
bin,  where  it  is  dried  more. 

After  this  it  is  treated  with  peroxide  and  it  is  now 
ready  for  the  packing  house.  Here  it  is  run  through  sev- 
eral screens,  some  of  wire  and  some  of  silk.  Here  all  the 
coarse  particles  are  taken  from  the  starch  which  goes  to 
the  packers,  where  it  is  put  into  sacks  holding  140  and 
280  pounds.  It  is  then  loaded  into  cars  for  shipment. 
Some  of  this  is  shipped  direct  to  customers  and  some,  to 
another  plant  of  this  company  at  Baltimore,  Maryland, 
where  it  is  packed  in  small  packages. 

In  this  process  about  65%  of  the.  solid  part  of  the 
corn  is  used  for  starch.  The  coarse  parts  of  the  corn 
that  has  been  left  by  screenings  is  taken  to  the  feed  house 
where  it  is  dried  in  large  revolving  tanks  heated  to  a  high 
temperature.  Here  it  is  again  separated  and  the  germ  is 
carried  to  the  oil  house  where  it  is  run  through  presses 
and  the  oil  is  taken  out  and  after  passing  through  sev- 
eral processes  it  is  conveyed  to  storage  tanks.  The  part 
that  remains  of  the  germ  is  called  oil  cake  and  is  made 
into  dairy  feed.  The  other  parts  screened  from  the  corn 
are  mixed  with  the  gluten  and  this  also  is  used  for  feed. 
About  28%  of  the  solid  portion  is  used  for  feed  and  over 
2%  for  oil,  leaving  less  than  4%  waste,  as  65%  is  used  in 
starch. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  89 

It  would  be  impossible  for  us  to  give  in  detail  the 
process  used  in  manufacturing  each  of  the  products  but 
one  can  see  the  important  place  this  plant  has  in  Decatur 
and  the  surrounding  district  by  the  amount  of  raw  ma- 
terial used  and  the  finished  products.  In  order  to  haul 
the  corn  and  the  manufactured  product  it  would  require 
twenty  freight  trains.  This  company  bought  during  the 
month  of  January,  1920,  575  car  loads  of  corn.  It  shipped 
555  car  loads  of  products.  Of  the  555  car  loads  only  40 
were  shipped  to  foreign  countries,  which  was  less  than 
the  foreign  shipment  of  other  months,  as  the  average  is 
usually  200  car  loads.  This  was  due  to  difference  of  money 
value  as  foreign  money  is  less  in  value  than  ours. 

It  is  planned  to  open  the  syrup  and  glucose  plant  in 
June  and  this  will  call  for  more  workmen  and  add  to  the 
importance  of  the  plant. 

The  new  building  plans  which  are  now  under  way  call 
for  an  expenditure  of  two  million  dollars,  and  is  the  larg- 
est building  project  of  its  kind  ever  attempted  in  Central 
Illinois. 

In  order  to  appreciate  this,  one  must  visit  the  plant  and 
see  the  activity  that  is  being  carried  on  in  the  yards.  There 
are  six  miles  of  private  railway  track  on  the  grounds  and 
the  switch  engines  are  in  continuous  motion,  moving  car- 
loads of  lumber,  crushed  rock,  and  other  materials  for  the 
buildings  being  constructed.  There  are  about  900  men 
employed  in  the  construction  work,  although  machinery  is 
used  wherever  it  can  be  employed. 

Along  with  this  building  work  the  regular  work  of 
grinding  25,000  bushels  daily  is  accomplished. 

In  this  time  of  strikes,  the  A.  E.  Staley  Company  has 
not  been  affected  by  labor  disturbances.  This  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  this  company  is  just  to  the  employees,  even 
to  doubling  the  increase  which  union  men  were  urging 
the  employees  to  ask  and  in  this  way  the  organization  of 
a  union  was  prevented. 

Another  way  by  which  this  company  has  showed  its 
interest  in  the  employees  is  the  establishment  of  a  store 


90  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


to  reduce  the  high  cost  of  living  to  the  employees.  This 
department  is  trying  to  serve  the  employees  and  this  is 
appreciated  by  those  employed  because  they  get  a  good 
brand  of  goods  at  a  lower  price  than  they  can  be  obtained 
elsewhere. 

In  addition  to  furnishing  employees  supplies  at  cost 
this  company  offered  to  put  in  the  new  impounding  dam 
which  the  city  will  have  to  do  in  order  to  have  the  neces- 
sary water  supply,  at  the  actual  cost  of  labor  and  material. 

This  company  has  showed  an  interest  in  its  employees 
socially.  An  athletic  club  and  a  band  have  been  organized. 
An  athletic  park  is  provided  by  the  company  and  financial 
aid  given  by  the  head  of  the  firm.  But  the  efforts  of  Mr. 
Staley  do  not  stop  at  the  plant. 

He  has  encouraged  the  formation  of  a  Home  Bureau 
for  the  wives  of  the  men  employed  by  him  and  has  offered 
a  room  for  their  use.  Probably  the  influence  of  no  one 
firm  exerts  as  wide  an  influence  in  the  life  of  Decatur  as 
that  of  the  A.   E.  Staley  Manufacturing  Company. 


THE  WABASH  SHOPS 

Outline  for  the  Wabash  Shops 

A.  Location 

1.  On  Seventh  Street. 

2.  Close  to  other  plants. 

B.  Men  employed  there. 

1.  Character  of  men. 

2.  Different  occupations. 

C.  Locomotive  Shops. 

1.  Situation. 

2.  Buildings. 

a.  Locomotive  Shop. 

1.  Employes. 

2.  Materials  and  machines. 

3.  Work  that  is  done. 

b.  Blacksmith  Shop. 

c.  Storeroom. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR 


91 


D.     Car  Shops. 

1.     Location  and  extent. 
The  yards. 
Cabinet  shop. 
Coach  shop. 
Storeroom. 

Machine  and  blacksmith  shop. 
Reclamation  plant. 
Wood  shop. 
Power  plant. 
Ice  plant. 


10. 


92  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

The  Wabash  shops  are  located  in  the  northeast  part  of 
Decatur,  Illinois,  at  the  edge  of  town.  They  are  northeast 
of  the  Bridge  Works  and  also  Staley's  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany. This  is  a  good  situation  because  Decatur  is  the  main 
distributing  point  for  the  Wabash  shops  and  lines  from  Buf- 
falo, New  York,  to  Kansas  City,  Missouri. 

The  Wabash  shops  help  Decatur  because  they  employ 
men  and  the  more  men  they  employ  the  luorc  families  will 
come  to  Decatur  to  live.  That  way  they  would  have  to 
build  more  houses  and  Decatur  would  extend  farther.  If 
the  men  come  to  Decatur  to  work  they  will  need  houses, 
food  and  clothing.  It  will  take  stores  to  sell  the  food  and 
clothing.  It  will  take  a  lumber  yard  to  sell  the  lumber  for 
the  houses.  It  will  take  land  to  build  the  houses  on.  It 
will  take  more  streets,  car  lines  and  stores  where  the  new 
houses  are  being  built.    This  makes  our  city  grow. 

Many  men  work  at  the  Wabash  shops.  They  are  most 
all  union  men  and  work  a  certain  number  of  hours  each  day. 
They  agree  on  a  fixed  scale  of  wage  almost  always.  No 
union  men  can  be  discharged  without  a  good  cause. 

Some  of  the  occupations  are  as  follows :  Mechanics,  la- 
borers, pipe  fitters,  boiler  makers,  truckmen,  machinists, 
carpenters,  painters,  welders,  watchmen,  flagmen,  pattern 
makers,  ofifice  men,  shipping  clerks,  cabinet  makers,  uphol- 
sterers, electricians,  car  knockers,  inspectors,  railroad  ma- 
chinists, tool  makers,  tinners,  stenographers,  bookkeepers, 
draftsmen,  blacksmiths,  switchmen,  foremen. 

The  foremen  have  charge  of  different  parts  of  the  shops. 
The  pipe  fitters  fit  the  pipes  and  make  them  to  fit  the  en- 
gines and  cars.  Mechanics  go  all  around  their  part  of  the 
shop  to  see  that  everything  is  all  right  and  put  together 
right.  The  yard  master  has  charge  of  the  yards.  He  tells 
where  the  different  cars  go  and  what  tracks  they  go  on. 
The  switchmen,  engineers,  firemen  and  brakemen  switch 
the  cars  where  the  yardmaster  tells  them  they  are  to  be  put. 
The  head  general  foreman  has  charge  of  the  whole  shops. 
He  takes  his  orders  from  the  superintendent.  Painters 
paint  different  parts  of  the  cars  and  engines  after  they  have 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  93 

been  repaired.  Lots  of  the  men  are  helpers.  They  get  any 
machines  the  other  men  want.  They  take  in  engines  and 
repair  them.  They  polish  them.  Then  they  look  like  new. 
There  are  mechanics  that  tear  engines.  They  fit  iron  parts 
for  the  engines  and  put  them  together. 

The  shipping  clerks  are  to  see  what  is  sent  out  and  what 
comes  in  and  how  much  it  costs.  The  stenographers  have 
a  lot  of  letters  on  his  or  her  desks.  Bills  and  orders  for 
materials  must  be  taken  care  of. 

There  are  three  buildings  that  make  the  locomotive  di- 
vision. The  locomotive  shop  repairs  all  parts  of  engines 
and  coal  cars.  The  locomotive  shop  is  a  big,  long,  gray 
building  with  lots  of  windows.  It  is  nine  hundred  feet  long 
and  fifty  feet  high.  When  you  go  into  it  you  can  not  hear 
anything  for  the  noise.  There  are  all  kinds  of  machinery  in 
it.    There  are  three  furnaces  in  it. 

Seven  hundred  and  eighty  men  work  there.  The  men 
are  working  all  the  time.  They  do  different  kinds  of  things. 
There  are  train  tracks  in  them  to  be  brought  in  on. 

They  have  four  air  compressors  that  furnish  power  for 
the  shop.  They  have  shields  around  them  so  that  the  men 
that  run  them  will  not  tear  their  clothes.  They  are  fenced 
in  with  iron  bars.  These  air  compressors  are  to  help  run 
the  machines. 

There  are  five  cranes  that  have  four  wheels,  two  on  each 
side  and  two  big  ones.  They  run  by  electricity.  They  run 
over  your  head  at  the  top  of  the  building.  There  is  a  little 
house  in  these  cranes.    The  man  that  runs  it  is  in  there. 

These  cranes  carry  wheels,  parts  of  engines  and  other 
heavy  things  from  one  end  of  the  shop  to  another.  Two  of 
these  cranes  carry  seventy-five  tons. 

When  they  take  a  great  big  engine  apart  they  first  take 
oiT  the  wheels.  Then  the  big  crane  comes  along  and  picks 
the  wheels  up  and  carries  them  down  to  the  other  end  of 
the  shop.  Then  they  mark  the  wheels  and  engines.  The 
men  get  on  the  wheels  and  ride  them  when  the  crane  picks 
them  up.  The  locomotive  shops  have  big  steam  engines  and 
steam  hammers.    They  have  made  about  four  engines  since 


94  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

the  shop  has  been  built.  They  have  big  pressers.  It  has 
two  stories  in  it.  It  has  machines  on  both  floors.  It  is 
about  two  blocks  long. 

The  Wabash  men  make  and  repair  boilers  for  engines. 
First  they  have  the  steel  sent  to  them.  They  have  to  put 
holes  in  the  steel  and  sometimes  put  the  steel  in  a  molder 
certain  places.  Legit  is  a  cement  that  they  put  in  engines 
to  keep  the  fire  in  the  fire  box.  They  use  it  for  repairing 
boilers. 

The  blacksmith  shops  repair  and  make  parts  of  engines, 
coal  cars,  railroad  tracks,  switches  and  things  for  the  lines 
all  over  their  system.  They  employ  72  men.  When  they 
make  a  bushing  it  is  fastened  to  a  round  wheel,  the  wheel 
goes  around,  then  there  is  a  piece  of  steel  that  cuts  about 
half  an  inch  off  at  a  time.  When  they  put  the  tire  on  they 
put  it  in  a  big  fire  and  let  it  shrink.  They  stand  the  wheel 
up  and  put  fire  all  over  it.  The  blacksmith  shop  is  not 
nearly  as  large  as  the  other  shop.  They  have  all  kinds  of 
machinery  in  it.  They  have  three  furnaces  in  it.  They 
keep  the  furnaces  red  hot  all  the  time.  They  have  three 
cranes  in  the  blacksmith  shop. 

The  storeroom  has  all  parts  of  engines  and  things  that 
are  needed  in  the  locomotive  division.  It  is  not  as  large  as 
the  blacksmith  shop. 

They  have  a  separate  storeroom,  not  using  the  one  for 
the  car  shop  division  because  it  does  not  handle  the  sup- 
plies they  need. 

The  locomotive  division,  including  the  locomotive  shop, 
the  blacksmith  shop  and  their  storeroom,  covers  about 
thirty  acres  of  ground. 

The  car  shops  are  situated  on  the  east  side  of  Seventh 
Street.  They  cover  ninety  acres  of  land.  They  include 
storeroom,  power  plant,  coach  shop,  machine  shop,  black- 
smith shop,  cabinet  shop,  reclamation  plant,  ice  plant,  scrap 
dock  and  several  offices. 

All  things  that  are  shipped  in  come  to  the  yards  first, 
such  as  sheet  iron  and  tin.  They  then  are  taken  to  their 
places.     In  the  yards  they  have  iron  and  wood  all  piled  ud 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  95 


in  piles.  They  use  the  iron  and  wood  for  their  own  use. 
When  they  have  wrecks  they  fix  the  tracks  with  the  rails 
they  have  in  the  yards.  Lots  of  the  wood  is  taken  to  the 
cabinet  shop  for  the  pattern  makers  to  repair  and  make 
seats,  window  frames,  furniture  for  dining  cars.  The  iron 
is  often  rusted  but  is  painted  and  shaped  to  use.  They  use 
the  tracks  that  are  in  the  yards  to  take  the  iron  and  wood  to 
shops  in  different  parts  of  the  yards  and  to  switch  the 
freight  cars.  They  put  most  of  the  trains  and  cars  together 
in  the  yards.  The  men  in  the  yards  are  hard  workers. 
They  are  men  working  at  repairing  freight  cars.  The  scrap 
gangs  get  the  iron,  put  it  on  a  pulley,  load  it  on  a  car.  When 
they  get  a  carload  they  send  it  away  where  it  is  melted  to 
use.  The  car  inspector  goes  around  and  sees  if  the  cars 
are  all  right  and  if  they  need  repairing. 

The  cabinet  shop  employs  sixty  men.  They  repair  and 
make  tables,  cabinets,  chairs,  desks,  berths  and  all  furniture 
that  is  used  in  the  shops  and  what  is  used  on  the  Wabash 
lines.  The  cabinet  shop  is  one  hundred  and  eleven  feet 
long,  thirty-eight  feet  wide  and  sixteen  feet  high.  They 
have  all  kinds  of  machines,  such  as  jig  saw,  rip  saw,  rib  saw, 
band  saw,  and  others.  There  is  a  wood  shaver  that  shaves 
wood  just  as  it  is  supposed  to  be,  a  joining  machine  that 
joins  different  pieces  of  wood  together.  They  have  a  grind- 
stone, meter,  turning  lathe,  shaper.  There  is  a  jointer  that 
saws  the  wood  smooth,  then  they  glue  it  together  like  one 
board. 

In  the  pattern  makers'  shop  they  use  blue  prints  to  mark 
the  wood  that  they  are  going  to  make  a  pattern  out  of.  They 
make  a  pattern  out  of  wood,  paint  it,  send  it  to  the  foundry 
to  have  iron  molds  made  just  like -them.  They  make  any 
shape  pattern  that  is  wanted.  The  pattern  makers  do  not 
have  much  work  to  do  but  when  they  do  have  something  to 
make  it  takes  them  a  long  time  to  get  it  in  the  right  shape. 

The  upholstering  department  repairs  and  makes  all 
cushions,  seats  and  chairs.  They  put  plush  on,  then  some 
that  are  dirty  they  scrub  them  and  clean  them  off.  They 
have  a  machine  that  cuts  leather.    They  cut  the  leather  and 


96  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

fit  it  on  smoothly  on  the  furniture.  They  put  the  cushions 
on  and  varnish  them.  Then  they  put  them  in  the  coach  or 
take  them  to  the  storeroom  to  be  shipped  to  different  places. 

In  the  tinners'  department  they  make  stove  pipes.  They 
put  the  tin  on  the  roller  and  roll  it.  They  run  the  tin 
through  something  like  a  wringer.  After  they  have  taken 
the  tin  off  of  the  wringer  they  run  it  through  again  to  be 
sure  of  the  right  size.  Then  they  tack  it.  The  stove  pipes 
are  used  anywhere.  They  have  an  emery  wheel  to  grind 
things  on.  They  make  galvanized  iron  buckets.  The  tin 
they  get  comes  in  boxes.  Some  of  the  furniture  has  to  have 
tin  put  on  it.  They  have  got  a  tin  cutter.  It  cuts  tin  into 
squares.    They  repair  and  make  lanterns. 

The  coach  shop  is  much  larger  and  higher  than  the  cabi- 
net shop,  so  that  the  coaches  can  be  brought  in  to  be  re- 
paired. The  coach  shop  itself  is  three  hundred  and  eighty 
feet  long  and  one  hundred  feet  wide.  Coaches  are  sent  to 
be  repaired  perhaps  often  scarred  up  in  wrecks.  In  the 
coach  shops  there  is  a  car  that  has  different  parts  of  an 
engine,  but  they  are  littler  than  the  pieces  on  the  engine. 
This  car  is  to  instruct  the  men.  They  go  in  there  and  have 
all  parts  explained.  The  car  runs  from  St.  Thomas,  Can- 
ada, to  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  stopping  at  all  important 
cities.  The  coach  shop  repairs  from  twelve  to  fifteen  cars 
a  month.  Sometimes  it  takes  two  or  three  months  to  re- 
pair one  coach.  There  are  old  trucks  that  have  been  in 
wrecks.  There  is  a  car  that  has  a  wooden  body  on  it.  They 
are  putting  a  steel  body  on  it.  There  is  a  big  motor  that 
makes  electric  lights  for  headlights.  They  have  a  powerful 
torch  that  burns  parts  of  rods  and  bolts  off  about  the  cars. 

The  parlor  cars  have  soft  rocking  chairs,  soft  daven- 
ports and  books  to  read.  It  is  just  like  a  living  room  on 
the  inside.  There  are  seats  out  on  the  end  of  the  parlor  car 
for  the  people  to  see  better.  Parlor  cars  are  not  on  local 
trains,  just  on  limited  trains.  A  local  train  is  a  train,  but  a 
limited  train  is  a  fast  train.     It  does  not  stop  at  all  depots. 

Storeroom  is  filled  with  shelves.  Everything  they  may 
need,  pieces  of  iron  wheels,  bolts,  lanterns,  ropes,  buckets, 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  97 

shovels,  red  lights,  oil  and  paint  they  store  on  the  shelves. 
They  have  washers,  nails,  linoleum,  taps,  and  castings. 
They  ship  out  oil,  paint  and  all  things  needed  on  the  lines. 
They  have  some  things  shipped  in,  such  as  brooms,  lan- 
terns and  shovels.  They  also  make  lanterns  and  buckets, 
bolts  and  things  needed  on  the  lines.  Some  of  these  things 
are  made  in  Decatur  and  some  are  shipped  in.  They  have 
draftsmen  to  make  blue  prints.  They  have  barrels,  electric 
light  fixtures,  hammers,  matches  and  hatchets.  The  store- 
room has  some  offices  on  the  first  floor  and  the  general  su- 
perintendent, Mr.  Needham's,  offices  upstairs.  The  offices 
downstairs  are  such  as  shipping  clerks,  stenographers, 
bookkeepers  and  draftsmen. 

The  machine  shop  and  blacksmith  shop.^ — -In  the  black- 
smith shop  they  take  a  big  block  of  iron  and  get  it  red  hot, 
then  a  man  has  a  hammer  and  pounds  it  in  the  right  shape. 
The  machine  and  blacksmith  shops  are  two  hundred  and. 
eighty  feet  long,  ninety  feet  high,  and  twenty  feet  wide. 
There  is  a  steam  hammer  that  without  the  pressure  it  drops 
five  hundred  pounds ;  with  the  pressure  it  is  fifteen  hun- 
dred pounds.  There  was  an  iron  drill  press  that  drilled  six 
holes  at  a  time.  Then  there  is  a  threading  machine  that 
cuts  pipes  as  it  threads  the  pipe.  They  heat  the  broken 
axles  that  come  off  of  the  broken  cars  and  the  wheels  the 
same  way,  then  they  take  the  steam  hammer  and  get  them 
straight. 

In  the  wood  shop  they  have  a  wood  shaver  that  shaves 
wood  so  that  they  can  glue  it  together  like  one.  They  have 
a  motor  saw  that  runs  by  electricity.  It  has  a  l)elt  that  goes 
around  and  saws  wood.  They  have  many  saws  that  saw 
all  sizes.  There  is  a  band  saw  that  cuts  three  boards  at  a 
time.  They  cut  big  sills.  They  have  a  wood  mill  and  some 
little  cranes.  The  cranes  are  on  little  tracks.  They  use  the 
little  cranes  so  if  wood  or  anything  is  too  heavy  they  can 
put  it  on  the  little  crane  and  it  will  carry  it  for  them.  They 
have  a  suction  pipe  that  they  sweep  the  coarse  sawdust  into 
and  it  goes  to  the  power  plant  and  helps  furnish  power  for 
the  shops.  They  take  the  fine  sawdust  and  sometimes  they 
use  it  for  packing  things. 


98  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

The  reclamation  plant  does  just  about  the  same  as  the 
machine  shop.  They  have  a  pipe  threader  that  threads  the 
pipe  as  it  cuts  it.  They  handle  heavy  things  such  as  wheels 
and  boilers.    It  is  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  yards. 

In  the  power  plant  is  where  the  power  is  furnished  for 
the  shops.  In  the  wood  mill  they  have  a  suction  pipe  that 
they  sweep  the  coarse  sawdust  in  and  it  goes  to  the  power 
plant,  where  it  helps  furnish  power  for  other  shops.  It  is 
burned  up. 

The  ice  plant  is  used  to  keep  ice  in  summer  and  winter. 
They  pack  the  ice  in  sawdust  and  straw.  They  do  not  use 
the  sawdust  from  the  wood  mill  for  the  ice.  They  put  up 
the  ice  in  winter  and  keep  it  till  summer.  The  ice  is  used 
for  putting  in  refrigerator  cars  or  coolers.  The  ice  is  to 
keep  perishable  things  from  spoiling.  The  ice  goes  up  a 
chute  like  a  pipe  and  goes  down  into  the  plant  and  there 
it  is  packed.    They  have  either  artificial  or  natural  ice  there. 


THE  DECATUR  BRIDGE  WORKS 

The  Bridge  Company  is  located  on  the  east  side  of  De- 
catur on  East  Eldorado  Street  in  the  1900  and  2000  block. 
It  was  established  by  E.  B.  Tyler,  W.  N.  Wood,  G.  A.  Cald- 
well and  T.  L.  Blackburn  in  1903.    It  is  a  corporation. 

It  employs  about  225  men  and  has  no  factories  else- 
where.   The  men  it  employs  are  all  Americans. 

They  receive  materials  from  steel  rolling  mills  located  at 
Pittsburgh.  They  receive  their  material  after  it  is  rolled 
mto  sheets.  It  comes  in  the  shape  of  I-beams,  channels, 
T's,  plates,  angles  and  bars.  It  is  received  in  various 
lengths.  The  materials  are  unloaded  by  an  overhead  trav- 
eling crane  and  carried  to  tracks  and  then  distributed  by 
tars  over  the  plant.  Lifting  by  the  men  has  been  reduced 
to  a  minimum. 

They  first  cut  the  steel,  punch,  rivet,  weld  and  shape 
it  as  each  distinct  piece  is  called  for.    The  factory  is  fitted 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  99 

with  the  best  of  machinery  to  care  for  each  part  of  the 
work.    They  make  their  own  rivets. 

They  manufacture  roof  trusses,  steel  parts  of  steam- 
ships and  all  kinds  of  structural  steel.  They  have  not  a 
standard  trade. 

After  the  product  is  finished  it  is  taken  into  the  yards 
and  inspected  and  painted.  It  is  loaded  in  the  cars  by  a 
derrick  and  is  packed  as  well  to  go  a  short  distance  as  to 
go  a  long  one,  for  it  is  easily  damaged.  It  is  fastened 
securely. 

They  ship  their  products  through  Illinois  to  the  South 
and  to  the  West.  Their  materials  are  very  heavy  and 
freight  rates  are  very  high,  therefore  their  territory  is  lim- 
ited. 

Their  main  routes  are  via  the  C,  I.  and  W.,  I.  C,  Wa- 
bash and  Penn. 

Their  sources  of  power  are  steam,  air  and  electricity. 
They  make  fifty  per  cent  of  their  own  power,  the  rest  they 
obtain  from  the  local  power  plant. 

They  have  no  foreign  trade  or  foreign  offices.  Their 
general  output  varies  each  year,  as  they  do  work  by  con- 
tracts. 

During  the  war  they  made  parts  of  ships  and  sent  them 
to  France.  These  were  packed  according  to  the  rules  of 
the  steamship  lines.  During  the  war  they  ran  night  and 
day.  In  time  of  peace  it  is  run  only  during  the  day.  The 
buildings  were  also  enlarged  to  meet  the  demand  of  their 
trade.  They  did  everything  they  could  to  help  the  govern- 
ment. 

The  plant  keeps  in  close  touch  with  its  employes  and 
gives  them  any  assistance  they  can.  The  employes  are  well 
paid. 

This  plant  also  has  its  own  drafting  room  and  each 
piece  of  steel  is  planned  here  before  being  made. 


100  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

THE  WILLIAMS  SEALING  CORPORATION 

Decatur  should  be  proud  of  its  most  modern  manufac- 
turing concern,  The  Williams  Sealing  Corporation,  which 
manufactures  "Kork-N-Seal"  caps  for  bottles  and  "Kork- 
N-Seal"  capping  machines. 

The  reason  for  the  location  of  the  factory  in  Decatur 
is  an  interesting  one.  The  factory  was  formerly  located 
in  Waterbury,  Connecticut,  but  the  company  decided  to 
move  west  and  in  seeking  a  new  location  examined  seventy- 
six  manufacturing  cities  with  a  population  of  from  25,000 
to  100,000. 

After  five  years  of  careful  study  Decatur  was  finally 
selected  as  fulfilling  all  the  requirements  which  they  were 
seeking.  Some  of  the  facts  about  Decatur  which  acted 
as  a  magnet  to  bring  The  Williams  factory  here  are  these : 
Decatur  is  near  the  center  of  population  of  the  United 
States ;  it  is  in  a  coal  producing  district ;  labor  is  easily 
attainable  and  of  good  quality;  there  are  good  transporta- 
tion facilities ;  and  Decatur  is  a  good  place  in  which  to  live. 

The  raw  materials,  such  as  wire,  tin  plate,  tin  foil,  pig 
iron,  glue,  cork,  etc.,  came  largely  from  the  central  states 
and  when  the  caps  were  manufactured  in  Connecticut,  they 
were  mostly  sold  to  customers  in  the  central  and  western 
states  or  somewhere  within  a  reasonable  radius  of  the 
center  of  population.  This,  of  course,  made  a  great  ex- 
pense in  transportation  charges  for  the  raw  materials  and 
the  finished  product.  Locating  in  Decatur  has  reduced 
that  item  of  expense. 

Nearness  to  coal  always  is  an  item  for  consideration 
when  running  a  factory  and  since  Decatur  has  three  soft 
coal  mines  it  filled  that  need. 

Getting  labor  is  a  much  easier  problem  in  Decatur  than 
in  an  eastern  city  where  the  demand  is  so  great  and  where 
strikes  are  common.  Then,  too,  there  is  a  higher  class  of 
workmen  to  be  found  here  than  in  many  places  in  the  East. 
With  the  interurban  and  several  railroads  for  transporta- 
tion, Decatur  can  readily  bring  in  raw  products  from  all 
parts  of  the  United  States  and  quickly  ship  finished  "caps" 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  101 

to.  the  purchaser.  In  the  East  there  is  so  much  manufac- 
turing and  comparatively  so  few  express  companies  and 
railroads  that  goods  are  often  held  up  weeks  at  a  time 
before  shipment  can  be  made. 

A  glance  from  the  distance  is  sufficient  to  mark  The 
Williams  factory  as  up-to-date,  for  the  major  portion  of 
the  exterior  of  the  four-story  structure  is  glass.  Upon 
going  thru  the  building  you  are  further  impressed  with 
the  latest  improvements  for  making  a  factory  light  and 
sanitary.  Drinking  fountains  are  found  on  each  floor. 
There  are  individual  lockers ;  laundry  rooms  where  the 
company  washes  the  suits  worn  by  the  employees  for  half 
a  week ;  wire  protectors  over  moving  belts  and  plenty  of 
heat  in  cold  weather.  The  building  is  fire-proof,  having 
re-enforced  concrete  floors  and  columns. 

The  Williams  Sealing  Corporation  not  only  makes  caps 
for  bottles  but  also  makes  the  machines  that  make  the 
caps.  That  means  that  one  entire  floor  is  a  machine  shop 
where  men  are  constantly  working  on  machines  and  tools, 
which  are  used  on  the  other  floors  in  manufacturing  Kork- 
N-Seal  and  on  Kork-N-Seal  capping  machines. 

"Kork-N-Seal"  is  the  unique  trade-mark  which  is  used 
by  the  company  to  advertise  its  goods.  To  watch  the 
various  steps  in  producing  the  "Kork-N-Seal"  cap  is  most 
interesting.  There  are  nine  operations  performed  to  pro- 
duce a  finished  "Kork-N-Seal." 

The  following  outline  will  give  in  brief  the  important 
facts  about  The  Williams  Sealing  Corporation. 

Williams   Sealing  Corporation 
I 

Officers  and  Chief  Owners 

President,  Mr.  John  H.  Goss,  Waterbury,  Connecticut; 
Secretary,  Mr.  Chas.  D.  Nye,  Waterbury;  Treasurer  and 
General  Manager,  Mr.  G.  A.  Williams,  Decatur. 


102  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

II 

Location — Jasper  and  Garfield  Ave.,  northeast  part  of 
city,  on  Condit  car  line. 

Ill 

When  established 
1909,   in   Waterbury,   Connecticut.     Factory  opened   in 
Decatur  in   1918. 

IV 
Why  established 

(1)  Nearness  to  center  of  U.  S.  population 

(2)  Good  transportation  facilities 

(a)  Railroad 

(b)  Interurban 

(3)  Coal  mines 

(4)  Laborers  easy  to  get  and  of  higher  type  Americans 

(5)  Decatur  a  good  place  to  live. 

V 

Number  and  kinds  of  employees 
(1)     About  150  persons  employed 

(a)     Mostly    women    (run    capping    machines, 
62^  female,  37j/^  male) 
•    (b)     A  number  of  men   (machine  shop). 

VI 

Protection  of  employes 

(1)  Fire-proof  building 

(2)  Fire  extinguishers 

(3)  Fire  buckets 

(4)  Fire  escapes 

(5)  Wire  over  belts. 

VII 

Sanitary  conditions 

(a)  light 

(b)  heat 

(c)  air 

(d)  water 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  103 


(2) 

White  caps  and  suits  furnished  by  the  company 

for  women 

(3) 

Six-minute  rest  in  middle  of  morning  and  after- 

noon 

(4) 

Laundry 

(a)     Suits  washed  twice  a  week. 

VIII 

Products   manufactured 

(1) 

bottle  caps 

(2) 

capping  machines. 

IX 

Materials  received 

(1) 

tin  plate 

(2) 

cork  and  composition  cork 

(3) 

wire  and  steel  (soft  and  hard) 

(4) 

bottles 

(5) 

wood 

(6) 

rubber 

(7) 

tin  foil 

(8) 

glue 

(9) 

cast  iron  and  steel 

(10) 

wax  paper 

(11) 

lacquer. 

X 

Process  of  making  caps 

(1) 

cutting  out 

(2) 

shaping 

(3) 

making  wire  fixtures 

(a)     nickel  plating  the  clamp 

(4) 

Pressing  cork  or  rubber  in  the  caps 

(5) 

Putting  together. 

XI 

Arrangement  of  building 

First  Floor 

(1) 

Office 

(a)     general 

(b)     private 

104  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


(2)     store  room 

(a)  raw  products 

(b)  bottles 

(c)  shipping  boxes 

(d)  finished  products. 

Second  Floor 

(1)  superintendent's  office 

(2)  machine  shop 

(a)  making  capping  machines 

(b)  repairing  machines 

(c)  repairing   and   making   tools. 

Third  Floor 

(1)  stamping  and  wire  forming 

(2)  locker  rooms 

(3)  wash  rooms 

(4)  foreman's  office. 

Fifth  Floor 
(1)     laundry. 

XII 

A  partial  list  of  the  names,  location,  and  article  put  up 
by  firms  using  "Kork-N-Seal"  follows. 

Firm  and  Location  Articles  put  up 

Scott  &  Bowne,  Bloomfield,  N.  J Scott's  Emulsion 

D.  Jayne  &  Sons,  Philadelphia 

Jayne's  Expectorant  &  Tonic 

Piso  Co.,  Warren,  Pa Cough  Medicine 

S.  C.  Wells  Co.,  LeRoy,  N.  Y Shiloh's  Cough  Cure 

Orator  F.  Woodward,  LeRoy,  N.  Y Kemp's  Balsam 

H.  G.  Heinz  Co Heinz  Vinegar 

Richardson  Corporation Maid  of  Honor  Fruit  Juices 

Park  Davis  &  Co.,  Detroit,  Mich Peroxid  America  Oil 

Frederick  Stearns  Co.,  Cleveland,  .Mulsified  Cocoanut  Oil 

Lowe  Bros.  Co.,  Dayton,  Ohio Furniture  Polish 

McKesson  &  Robbins,  New  York,  .Manufacturing  Chemist 
W.  M.  S.  Merrell  Co.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio 

Pharmaceutical  Preparation 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  105 

A.  B.  Dick  Co.,  CMcago Mimeograph  Supplies 

Hess  &  Clark,  Ashland,  Ohio 

Veterinary  &  Chicken  Remedies 

Standard  Oil  Co.,  Chicago. Stanalax 

Liquid  Carbonic  Co.,  Chicago Fruit  Juices 

Maltine  Co.,  Brooklyn,  N.  J Malt  Extract 

Waxit  Co.,  Minneapolis,  Minn Waxit  Polish 

Heinrich  Chemical  Co.,  Minneap(3lis.  .  .Flavors  &  Medicine 

Marshall  Oil  Co.,  Marshalltown,  la Molax 

O.  L.  Gregory  Vinegar  Co.,  Paris,  Texas Vinegar 

•Ryan-Eastman  Co.,  Cedar  Rapids,  la.. 

Automobile  Carbon  Remover 


THE  FARIES  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 

Outline 

1.  Age,  importance,  and  officers. 

2.  Location. 

3.  Beginnings  and  growth. 

4.  Articles  manufactured. 

5.  Raw  materials  used  and  where  obtained. 

6.  Employees. 

7.  Advertising. 

8.  Packing  of  goods. 

9.  Outline  of  places  to  which  finished  products  were 
shipped  in  1919. 

10.     Map  showing  distribution  of  the  finished  products. 

The  Faries  Manufacturing  Company,  organized  about 
forty  years  ago,  holds  a  prominent  place  in  our  community 
because  of  the  inventive  genius  of  the  late  Robert  Faries 
and  the  patents  secured  on  these  valuable  inventions  and 
because  men  of  ability  and  sound  judgment  have  been  at 
the  head  of  affairs.  The  present  officers  are  E.  P.  Irving, 
president  and  treasurer;  W.  E.  Surface,  vice-president  and 
superintendent,  and  W.  J.  Grady,  secretary. 


106  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


The  factory  is  located  at  1036  East  Grand  Avenue  near 
the  Illinois  Central  tracks  and  there  the  plant  occupies  an 
entire  block  of  ground  and  has  several  buildings  used  as 
machine  shops,  warehouses,  foundries,  offices,  etc. 

In  1866  Robert  Paries  came  to  Decatur  to  install  a 
boiler  upon  which  he  had  recently  taken  out  a  patent. 
The  boiler  was  not  the  success  Mr.  Paries  had  hoped  it 
would  be,  but  he  liked  the  young  town  and  secured  work 
as  an  expert  mechanic  and  boilermaker,  and  made  Decatur 
his  home.  In  a  few  years  he  was  able  to  save  some  money. 
To  this  he  added  by  borrowing  enough  to  start  a  small* 
shop  in  the  basement  of  his  home  which  was  then  located 
at  the  corner  of  East  Grand  Avenue  and  North  Illinois 
Street,  which  is  a  part  of  the  ground  now  occupied  by 
the  plant  of  the  Paries  Manufacturing  Co.  His  business 
continued  to  grow  and  in  1880  he  built  a  shop  on  the  ground 
next  to  his  home  and  this  was  the  beginning  of  the  present 
plant.  He  continued  business  until  1894,  at  which  time 
the  present  Paries  Manufacturing  Company  was  organized. 

Prom  the  small  beginning  in  1880  has  grown  the  pre- 
sent plant  which  now  practically  covers  three-fourths  of 
the  block  with  buildings  from  one  to  three  stories  in  height. 
The  company  expects  to  erect  another  building  this  spring 
152  feet  by  160  feet,  one  story  high,  upon  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  block.  When  this  is  completed  the  entire 
block  will  be  covered  with  buildings.  The  investment  of 
the  company  in  Decatur  in  real  estate,  merchandise,  ac- 
counts, etc.,  will  amount  to  considerably  over  one-half 
million  dollars. 

The  company's  best  known  line  of  manufactured  articles 
are  check  rower  wire,  electric  light  fixtures,  and  gun  clean- 
ing rods.  Many  of  the  designs  of  the  goods  manufactured, 
as  well  as  the  machines  used  in  the  plant,  are  covered  by 
patents  taken  out  by  Mr.  Paries. 

Check  rower  wire  is  used  upon  corn  planters  for  check- 
ing corn  when  planting,  and  has  made  the  work  of  the 
farmer  much  easier.  By  means  of  this  wire  the  farmer  is 
able  to  have  his  corn  in  straight  rows  in  both  directions 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  107 

so  that  it  is  possible  to  cultivate  the  corn  both  ways.  This 
allows  him  to  plow  up  and  destroy  all  the  weeds  in  the 
field. 

The  electric  light  fixture  business  covers  a  large  variety 
of  goods.  It  was  started  with  adjustable  brackets  invented 
and  patented  by  Mr.  Faries  for  use  in  his  own  machine 
shop.  This  adjustable  bracket  was  made  in  many  differ- 
ent shapes  and  designs  and  when  put  upon  the  market 
was  in  big  demand  everywhere  since  electricity  had  come 
into  such  common  use  in  homes,  offices,  stores,  factories, 
etc. 

The  gun  cleaning  rod,  which  is  patented,  has  also  a  wide 
sale.  The  rod  is  in  three  pieces  which  screw  together, 
and  in  the  handle-part  is  an  oil  can  and  screw  driver. 

The  raw  materials  used  in  the  manufacture  of  these 
various  articles  are  mainly  wire,  brass,  and  aluminum. 
The  wire  is  usually  bought  from  the  United  States  Steel 
Corporation  and  comes  principally  from  Joliet  and  Wau- 
kegan,  Illinois. 

The  brass  is  bought  in  sheet,  rod,  or  tube  form.  When 
the  Faries  Manufacturing  Company  was  first  organized 
wire  and  brass  were  manufactured  only  in  the  East,  and 
the  supply  had  to  be  shipped  from  Connecticut.  In  recent 
years,  however,  factories  for  the  manufacture  of  these 
goods  have  been  established  in  the  Middle  West  so  that 
most  of  the  brass  that  the  company  now  uses  comes  from 
Kenosha,  Wisconsin.  Another  such  factory  is  located  at 
East  Alton,  Illinois. 

Aluminum  is  used  mainly  for  the  manufacture  of  electric 
light  shades,  and  is  obtained  from  the  Aluminum  Company 
of  America  at  its  plant  at  Niagara  Falls,  New  York. 

The  factory  employs  something  over  three  hundred  per- 
sons and  the  weekly  pay  roll  amounts  to  between  $6000 
and  $7000.  Traveling  men  visit  all  parts  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada,  and  one  of  them  makes  regular  trips 
to  South  America. 

The  company  advertises  widely  through  catalogs  and 
trade  papers,  both  home  and  foreign. 


108  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


The  finished  products  are  sent  to  every  continent  on 
the  globe.  In  shipping  goods  to  foreign  countries  special 
attention  is  given  to  the  manner  of  packing.  This  is  nec- 
essary because  of  the  long  journey  the  goods  have  to  take 
and  various  methods  of  transportation  and  handling  they 
must  stand  before  they  reach  their  destination. 

The  following  outline  and  map  give  the  principal  cities 
to  which  goods  were  shipped  in  the  year  1919,  altho  the 
Hst  is  nowhere  near  complete. 

Faries  Maufacturing  Company 

Decatur,  Illinois,  U.  S.  A.,  1919 

Shipped  goods  to 

I     Europe 

1  England  3     France 

(a)  London  (a)     Paris 

(b)  Manchester  (b)     Lyons 

2  Spain  4     Iceland 

(a)  Barcelona  (a)     Reykjavik 

(b)  Valencia 

II     South  America 

1     Colombia  (h)     Rio  Grand  de  Sul 

(a)  Barranquilla  .     tt 
)i\     n    4.                                   4     Uruguay 

(b)  Cartagena  ^^^     Montivideo 


(c)     Bogoto 


Venezuela 

(a) 

Caracas 

Brazil 

(a) 

Para 

(b) 

Pernambuco 

(c) 

Bahia 

(d) 

Rio.de  Janeiro 

(e) 

Sao  Paulo 

(f) 

Santos 

(g) 

Porto  Allegre 

5  Paraguay 

(a)     Asuncion 

6  Argentine 

(a)  Buenos  Ayres 

(b)  Rosario 

(c)  Mendoza 

(d)  La  Plate 

(e)  Bahia  Blanca 

7  Chili 

(a)     Santiago 


CITY    OF    DECATUR 


109 


(b)     Valparaiso 

8     Peru 

(c)     Iquique 

(a)     Lima 

(d)     Valdivia 

(b)     Callao  • 

(e)  Concepcion 

(f)  Temuco 

(g)  Antafagosta 

9     Ecuador 

(a)  Quayaquil 

(b)  Quito 

III 

Asia 

1     China 

3     Dutch  East  Indies, 

Java 

(a)     Shanghai 

(a)     Sourbaja 

2     India 

■     (a)     Bombay 

IV 

Africa 

y 

1     Union  of  South  Afr 

ica 

(a)     Johannesburg 

- 

V     ' 

Oceania 

1     Australia 

2     New  Zealand 

(a)     New  South  Wal 

es 

(a)     Christchurch 

(a^)    Sydney 

(b)     Wellington 

(b)     Victoria 

(c)     Auckland 

(b^)    South  Australia 

(c)     Melbourne 

(c^)    Adelaide 

VI     North  America 
United  States 

(a)     All  states  and  territories  including  Alaska,  Porto 
Rico  and  Hawaiian  Islands. 

4     Cuba 

(a)     Havana 


Cuba 

(a)  Havana 

(b)  Santiago  de  Cuba 
Dominion  of  Canada,  all 

provinces 
Newfoundland 
(a)     St  Johns 


(b)     Santiago  de  Cuba 

Guatemala 
(a)     Puerto  Barrios 

Panama  Canal  Zone 
(a)      Panama 


110 


CITY    OF    DECATUR 


Distribution  of  the  products  of  the  Fanes  Manufacturing  Co.  in  the  year   1919 — 
outside  of  the  United  States. 


THE  COMET  AUTOMOBILE  COMPANY 

The  Comet  Automobile  Company  was  established  in 
May,  1917.  The  officers  of  this  company  are:  Geo.  W. 
Jagers,  president;  G.  W.  Beck,  sales  manager  and  first 
vice-president ;  R.  H.  Campbell,  purchasing  agent  and  sec- 
ond vice-president,  and  Mr.  E.  B.  Madden,  factory  man- 
ager. 

The  factory  is  a  one-story  structure  150  feet  by  600 
feet,  located  in  the  800  block  on  Garfield  Avenue,  with 
the  Illinois  Central  railroad  on  the  east. 

The  factory  assembles  the  parts  for  the  Comet  auto- 
mobile and  truck.  There  are  two  hundred  and  fifty  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  car  which  have  to  be  put  together. 
These  parts  come  from  various  places  in  the  United  States. 
The  metal  and  wood  parts  come  from  Moline,  Illinois ; 
the  motors   from   Detroit,   Michigan;  small  castings  from 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  111 

the  Decatur  Malleable  Iron  Works,  Decatur,  Illinois,  and 
the  upholstering,  putting  on  top  and  curtains  are  done  at 
the  factory. 

The  Comet  Six  is  a  car  of  unusual  beauty,  having  a 
very  long  body  made  in  green  or  maroon  or  blue.  At  the 
l)resent  time  the  car  sells  for  $2150. 

As  the  company  is  only  in  its  infancy,  shipments  are 
mainly  made  to  the  United  States,  altho  cars  have  been 
shipped  to  Denmark  and  Belgium. 

Employees  receive  from  forty-five  to  seventy  cents  an 
hour,  work  nine  hours  a  day  and  six  days  a  week. 


THE  DUAL  TRUCK-TRACTOR  COMPANY 

"Modern  science  knows  no  stopping  place." 

The  Dual  Truck-Tractor  Factory,  now  in  its  infancy, 
is  located  at  901  East  Eldorado  Street,  Decatur,  Illinois. 

Wonderful  progress  has  been  made  since  entering  this 
building  as  their  factory,  August  1,  1919.  The  Jefferson 
Machine  and  Tool  Company  of  Chicago  has  been  purchased 
and  installed,  for  which  they  received  stock  in  payment. 
They  were  also  fortunate  in  obtaining  the  proprietors  of 
this  company  to  come  into  their  factory  and  take  an  active 
part.  Other  additional  heavy  machinery  has  been  installed, 
which  will  enable  them  to  turn  out  each  and  every  part  of 
the  Dual  in  their  factory. 

This  factory  is  not  an  assembling  plant.  Machines  are 
manufactured  in  their  entirety,  with  the  exception  of  the 
motor  and  electric  ecjuipment.  They  have  a  complete  en- 
gineering and  drafting  department  with  master  drawings 
and  blue  prints  as  well  as  patterns,  nearly  all  of  which  are 
metal,  from  which  their  parts  are  cast. 

To  the  visitor,  marvelous  efficiency  and  economy  are 
in  evidence  throughout  the  factory. 

The  Dual  Truck  and  Tractor  was  organized  March  5, 
1918,  and  at  a  later  meeting  the  following  officers  were 
elected  :  President  and  General  Manager,  John  K.  Gumpper  ; 
Vice-President,  James   A.  Vent,  cashier   Hammond   State 


112  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

Bank,  Decatur,  Illinois;  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  W.  J. 
Woolums;  and  Director  of  Sales  and  Advertising,  W.  H. 
Woolums,  Decatur,  Illinois. 

The  following  are  names  of  the  Directors  of  the  com- 
pany: John  K.  Gumpper,  President;  James  A.  Vent,  Vice- 
President;  W.  J.  Woolums,  Secretary  and  Treasurer;  R. 
W.  Heady,  proprietor  of  the  Heady  Restaurants,  Decatur, 
Illinois;  Fred  Brenkman,  farmer,  Trenton,  Illinois;  J.  F. 
Stutzman,  farmer,  Girard,  Illinois;  W.  H.  Garvey, 'farmer, 
Warrensburg,  Illinois;  Samuel  J.  Traxter,  farmer,  Ham- 
mond, Illinois;  Jesse  L.  Hannabery,  owner  of  Mt.  Pulaski 
Oil  Company,  Mt.  Pulaski,  Illinois;  L.  C.  Ellison,  farmer, 
auto  and  tractor  dealer,  Mattoon,  Illinois ;  and  C.  M.  Ulrick, 
banker,  Springfield,  Illinois. 

There  are  also  nineteen  Advisory  Directors. 

The  Dual  Truck-Tractor,  Trailer  and  Air  Washer,  the 
products  of  this  factory,  are  fully  protected  by  United 
States  patents,  giving  the  company  monopoly  for  the  life 
of  the  patents.  They  are  of  universal  use  both  on  and  off 
the  farm.  Every  moving  part  of  the  Truck-Tractor  is  pro- 
tected from  dirt,  dust,  and  grit.  It  is  built  for  long  service 
and  is  self-oiling,  one  oiling  lasting  six  months,  thus  sav- 
ing two  hours  each  day  heretofore  used  in  filling  the  grease 
cups  on  the  ordinary  machine.  This  machine  also  has  the 
powerful  Buda  Y.  T.  U.  motor — four  and  one-half  by  six. 

The  Dual  Truck-Tractor  is  built  on  Firestone  solid  rub- 
ber tires.  The  rear  tractor  wheels  are  a  cast  shell  with 
steel  tires,  held  in  place  by  only  four  bolts,  which  can  be 
quickly  and  easily  removed,  changing  the  tractor  into  a 
truck  within  fifteen  minutes  time.  As  a  truck  it  runs  fifteen 
miles  an  hour  and  will  pull  three  fourteen  inch  bottom 
plows  on  high,  plowing  nine  acres  per  day.  It  is  equipped 
with  electric  starter,  generator  and  lights,  and  can  be  used 
for  plowing  and  pulling  a  binder  all  night,  should  the  sea- 
son demand  it.  It  has  a  rear  axle  very  unlike  other  axles 
in  the  world,  which  makes  it  outstanding  in  comparison 
with  other  machines. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  113 

It  is  twenty  horsepower  at  drawbar  and  thirty-five 
horsepower  at  belt,  which  is  reversible,  also  removable. 
It  has  power  which  can  be  used  for  all  hoisting  purposes, 
pulling  stamps,  removing  houses  or  barns  and  pulling 
hedge. 

The  Dual  Truck-Tractor  as  a  runabout  operates  the 
same  as  an  automobile,  has  a  speed  of  twenty-two  miles 
an  hour  and  has  the  expanding  brakes  which  enables  it 
to  stop  on  steep  hills  when  pulling  a  load. 

This  factory  also  manufactures  a  complete  line  of  Dual 
four-wheel  steer  trailers,  three-fourths  ton  to  five  tons,  and 
an  Air  Washer  which  gives  to  their  machines  alone  out- 
standing distinction. 

The  Air  Washer  is  situated  directly  back  of  the  radiator 
head  and  is  a  series  of  water  and  air  chambers,  performing 
their  work  as  component  parts  of  the  radiator.  The  water 
from  the  radiator,  which  passes  around  the  jacket  of  the 
engine  to  keep  it  cool,  automatically  dumps  into  the  Air 
Washer.  The  air  is  taken  into  the  Air  Washer  through 
an  opening  just  back  of  the  radiator  cap,  and  passes  twice 
through  the  water  before  it  reaches  the  combustion  cham- 
bers of  the  engine,  and  at  the  same  time  takes  the  steam 
off  of  the  radiator.  This  is  the  only  Air  Washer  situated 
where  the  least  dirt  is  encountered.  It  prevents  dirt,  dust 
and  grit  from  getting  to  the  engine,  saves  the  motor,  pre- 
vents the  formation  of  carbon  and  keeps  the  radiator  cool. 

The  Dual  which  means  two  in  one — both  Truck  and 
Tractor — having  so  many  uses  on  the  farm  and  off,  is 
truly  a  universal  machine. 

The  company  is  preparing  to  be  able  to  manufacture 
on  an  average,  one  tractor  and  five  trailers  per  day  before 
the  end  of  the  ensuing  year. 

Judging  from  the  demand,  at  the  present  time,  for  Dual 
Truck-Tractors,  Trailers  and  Air  Washers,  Mr.  J.  A. 
Scribbins,  the  company's  architect,  will  be  called  upon  to 
carry  out  his  plans  for  their  proposed  plant  in  the  near 
future. 


114  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

THE  HOME  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 

The  Home  Manufacturing  Company  was  established 
twenty-five  years  ago  in  the  old  Arcade  Building  where 
the  Lincoln  Square  Theater  now  occupies  the  same  site. 
This  industry  was  organized  by  Mr.  Charles  M.  Allison. 
A  few  years  after,  this  plant  was  moved  to  701  East  El- 
dorado Street  for  there  was  need  of  more  room  to  con- 
duct the  business  of  this  firm  more  efficiently  and  success- 
fully. Then  it  was  moved  seven  years  ago  to  its  present 
location,  741  East  Eldorado  Street.  The  dimensions  of 
the  Home  Manufacturing  Building  are  180  feet  by  150 
feet.  This  building  is  two  stories  high  with  a  full  sized 
basement. 

All  the  different  kinds  of  machinery  in  this  plant  are 
operated  by  electricity. 

Due  to  the  recency  in  improvements  of  machinery,  the 
Home  Manufacturing  Company  at  the  present  time  has 
for  its  employees  the  latest  labor-saving  devices  that  can 
be  purchased  in  any  market,  whether  in  home  or  foreign. 
The  causes  of  the  improvements  in  this  factory  were  not 
due  to  enforced  legislation,  but  were  due  to  competition, 
a  desire  to  please  its  employees,  to  create  public  sentiment, 
to  economize  time,  labor,  and  health  of  employees,  and  to 
accomplish  a  larger  output,  that  is,  to  satisfy  the  increas- 
ing demands  of  the  public.  The  results  of  the  improve- 
ments on  the  production  have  more  than  doubled,  lessened 
the  cost  of  production,  lessened  the  number  of  employees, 
but  have  required  more  skilled  laborers.  This  plant  now 
employs  one  hundred  forty  employees ;  namely,  pattern  de- 
signers, spreaders,  cutters,  assorters,  machine  operators, 
finisher,  inspectors,  machine  and  hand  pressers,  folders, 
markers,  shipping  clerks,  salesmen,  bookkeepers,  superin- 
tendent and  assistant  superintendent.  Thus,  specialization 
of  labor  is  due  to  the  kinds  of  labor  and  the  method  of 
organization  already  established  in  the  industry,  also  the 
competition  of  this  industry  with  other  industries  of  the 
same  class. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  115 

Physical  conditions  of  the  plant  visited :  good  sanita- 
tion, private  steam  heating  plant,  city  furnishes  the  electric 
lighting  and  electric  machine  power,  ample  ventilation 
which  is  due  to  plenty  of  windows  and  outside  entrances. 
This  firm  has  no  rest  rooms  nor  lunch  rooms  for  its  em- 
ployees which  is  due  to  lack  of  room,  but  the  manager 
expressed  his  hopes  for  having  them  soon.  The  cloak 
rooms  are  individual  lockers,  the  same  as  found  in  other 
public  buildings;  namely,  school  buildings,  stores,  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  and  Y.  W.  C.  A.  Buildings,  etc. 

The  continued  labor  in  the  factories  has  had  no  bad 
effects  upon  the  people  engaged;  that  is,  the  liability  to 
general  fatigue  or  physical  strain  is  not  due  to  influence 
caused  by  the  factory  work,  but  by  outside  influence  when 
not  employed  by  the  firm.  For  fifty  hours  is  the  required 
amount  of  labor  to  be  expected  from  each  employee  per 
week.  This  company  carries  a  liability  insurance  on  each 
employee. 

Employment  in  this  factory  renders  excellent  educa- 
tive effects  upon  employees;  such  as  caution,  accurateness, 
skillfulness,  blending  of  colors,  preferences  and  dislikes  of 
the  public  gives  experience,  thriftiness,  quality,  honesty. 
Qualifications  of  employees :  no  emphasis  up  to  the  present 
time  has  been  placed  upon  the  educational  need  of  the 
laborers  for  the  performance  of  the  work  required.  Any 
person  seeking  employment  in  this  factory  must  be  "moral, 
neat,  polite,  accurate,  honest,  punctual,  in  good  health, 
broad  enough  to  take  criticism,  whether  constructive  or 
destructive,  thoughtful  of  their  co-workers  and  can  furnish 
good  reference  if  necessary."  There  is  no  opportunity  af- 
forded by  this  firm  for  its  employees  for  rest  and  social 
intercourse  during  luncheon  time. 

The  Home  Manufacturing  Company  has  been  of  great 
value  to  the  city  of  Decatur,  Illinois.  It  has  not  only 
furnished  employment  to  hundreds  of  people  in  the  last 
twenty-five  years,  but  has  improved  living  conditions.  It 
has  aided  all  of  its  recent  employees  to  meet  the  many 
unexpected   emergencies   due   to   the    high    cost    of    living 


116  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

which  is  the  lesson  that  any  war  teaches.  Many  families 
during  the  last  twenty-five  years  could  not  have  enjoyed 
the  luxuries  and  comforts  in  their  homes  which  they  have 
enjoyed,  had  it  not  been  for  the  many  opportunities  this 
company  has  generously  given  to  the  members  whom  it 
has  employed.  All  the  products  from  this  company  ad- 
minister to  all  people  alike.  The  annual  salary  budget 
for  this  factory  amounts  to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
At  the  present  time,  the  officers  of  this  firm  have  no  in- 
tention of  moving  the  factory  elsewhere. 

The  Home  Manufacturing  Company  obtains  all  its  ma- 
terials from  eastern  cotton  mills.  From  these  materials 
are  made  children's  and  women's  dresses,  aprons,  petti- 
coats, also  children's  bloomers. 

As  soon  as  the  'finished  articles  just  named  are  ready 
for  the  market,  they  are  sold  to  local  dry  goods  retailers 
and  to  individual  citizens  of  Decatur,  or  shipped  to  all 
parts  of  United  States.  No  finished  products  are  sent  out 
of  the  boundary  of  our  own  home  country. 


THE  OSGOOD  MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 

The  firm  known  as  The  Osgood-Heiner  Manufacturing 
Company  was  organized  by  Messrs.  Osgood  and  Heiner 
in  a  small  room  in  the  old  Powers  building  in  1901,  with 
ten  sewing  machines  and  twelve  employees.  This  firm 
continued  in  business  at  this  location  for  five  years,  then 
moved  to  the  top  floor  of  the  Akers-Wilson  Building,  432 
North  Water  Street,  and  continued  to  remain  there  for 
fourteen  years,  then  in  1919,  the  industry  was  moved  to 
its  new  and  present  site,  349  East  North  Street. 

On  entering  this  clean,  new,  roomy,  magnificent  build- 
ing, it  is  necessary  to  ascend  a  short  flight  of  stairs.  On 
the  right,  is  the  main  office,  which  is  finished  in  mahogany 
and  fitted  up  with  mahogany  office  furniture  to  match. 
The  floors  of  all  of  the  offices  are  of  tile  with  cork  cen- 
ters.    After  passing  through  the  main  office  westward,  Mr. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  117 

Osgood's,  the  general  manager's  office  is  located.  The 
fire-proof  vault,  in  an  adjacent  room,  just  south  of  Mr. 
Osgood's  office,  is  so  thoroughly  constructed  that  to  be 
ruined  by  fire  would  be  impossible.  The  size  of  this  vault 
is  8'xlO'x8.5'  with  walls  2'  thick.  The  walls  are  not  solid 
but  hollow  in  order  to  prevent  danger  from  fire.  The  pur- 
pose of  this  vault  is  to  keep  all  the  individual  files  which 
include  the  names  of  all  the  firms  that  this  company  has 
previously  conducted  any  business  with,  and  the  names 
of  the  towns  and  states  from  which  this  company  has  ever 
received  any  orders. 

The  door  on  the  west  of  Mr.  Osgood's  office  is  the 
entrance  to  the  room  containing  the  sample  case  or  refer- 
ence line.  On  display  in  the  sample  case  can  be  seen  any 
day  all  the  pattern  dresses  that  the  company  uses  as  its 
models  to  make  its  raw  materials  into.  West  of  the  sam- 
ple case  room  is  an  additional  office  which  is  the  designer's 
office.  On  the  designer's  desk  were  seen  two  fashion  mag- 
azines, namely,  "The  Fashion  Guide,"  for  which  the  com- 
pany pays  the  subscription  price  of  $100  per  annum,  also 
the  "Fashion,"  $60  per  year,  and  "The  Fashion  Review," 
$4.00  per  year. 

The  large  cutting  room  which  is  to  the  left  and  south 
of  the  designer's  office,  contains  two  100'  tables,  also  the 
designer's  pattern  table,  18'x54".  This  room  is  also  known 
as  the  "piece-goods  stock-room."  On  the  day  when  the 
Ullrich  School  Committee  visited  this  room,  there  was 
in  stock  over  six  thousand  dollars  worth  of  piece-goods 
which  were  used  in  one  cutting,  and  the  general  manager 
on  this  same  day  had  bought  by  wire  twenty-two  thousand 
dollars  of  more  piece-goods.  The  reason  for  buying  by 
wire  instead  of  by  letter,  the  supply  of  this  kind  of  ma- 
terial is  scarce,  and  the  demand  so  pressing,  that  in  order 
to  obtain  enough  goods  to  keep  the  factory  going  time 
could  not  be  lost.  The  cutting  tables  in  the  cutting  room 
are  used  to  spread  the  piece-goods  upon,  and  upon  the 
piece-goods  are  placed  the  patterns.  Very  often  at  one 
cutting,  one  hundred  dozens  of  dresses  are  cut.     In  order 


118  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

to  make  so  large  a  cutting  the  goods  are  laid  thirty  dozens 
or  three  hundred  sixty  thicknesses.  The  cutting  is  done 
by  a  $350  electrical  cutting  machine  that  has  a  five-inch 
blade.  This  machine  requires  sixty  volts  of  electricity  to 
give  it  enough  power  to  cause  its  motor  to  make  thirty-six 
hundred  revolutions   per  minute. 

On  this  same  floor,  which  is  the  first  floor,  is  the  stock 
room.  The  stock  room  is  arranged  in  twenty-one  cab- 
inets. Each  cabinet  contains  eight  sections  and  each  sec- 
tion holds  thirty  dozens  of  ready-made  dresses  for  children 
and  women.  Any  section  at  any  time  includes  four  styles 
each. 

On  the  first  floor  in  the  rear  part  of  the  building  is  the 
shipping  room.  This  room's  dimensions  are  20'x38',  has 
raised  floors,  which  are  of  great  assistance  to  the  draymen 
when  either  importing  or  exporting  goods  to  the  factory. 
The  doors  of  the  elevator  in  this  room  are  automatic ; 
that  is,  they  close  at  a  temperature  of  160  degrees  Fahren- 
heit, to  prevent  further  spread  of  fire  to  the  second  floor. 
All  over  the  building  there  are  numbers  of  automatic 
sprinklers.  The  pressure  of  the  water  in  the  sprinklers 
is  one  hundred  pounds  to  the  square  inch.  This  pressure 
is  furnished  by  the  company.  The  pressure  in  the  city 
pipes  is  only  fifty  pounds  per  square  inch. 

The  second  floor  includes  the  large  sewing  room,  lunch 
room  and  rest  room  (combined),  one  cloak  room. 

In  the  sewing  room  there  are  two  rows  of  the  most 
modern  machines  that  can  be  purchased  in  any  market. 
The  latest  addition  to  the  Osgood  Manufactory  is  a  ma- 
chine for  sewing  on  snaps.  In  all,  there  are  eighty(?) 
machines,  forty,  in  each  row.  Each  row  of  machines,  in 
order  to  be  kept  running,  requires  500  volts  of  water 
power. 

The  second  floor  is  amply  lighted  by  the  indirect  light- 
ing system.  The  windows  can  be  so  adjusted  to  obtain 
the  restful,  soft,  grey  light  from  the  north,  and  to  furnish 
plenty  of  fresh  air  for  the  employees. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  119 

In  the  store  room  can  be  found  a  year's  stock  of  but- 
tons, braid,  binding,  snaps,  hooks  and  eyes,  and  countless 
numbers  of  spools  of  thread,  needles,  etc.  Many  of  the 
spools  of  thread  contained  a  yardage  of  12,000  yards,  about 
7  miles.  This  company  uses  annually  enough  thread  to 
equal  the  circumference  of  the  earth. 

.  Labor  in  the  factories:  the  educative  effects  upon  the 
employees  are  as  follows:  all  employees  who  ever  have  or 
will  work  in  this  factory  have  and  will  learn  many  values 
of  many  virtues;  such  as,  punctuality,  alertness,  honesty, 
courtesy,  results  obtained  through  measuring  one's  ability 
with  another  person  in  the  same  field  of  labor,  initiative- 
ness,  skillfulness  to  produce  satisfaction  to  employer  and 
to  self,  thriftiness,  obedience,  accurateness,  self-control, 
cleanliness,  experience,  promptness,  modesty,  criticism, 
either  constructive  or  destructive,  and  personal  address. 
So  far,  this  company  has  never  required  any  references 
from  its  employees  concerning  educational  qualifications, 
but  the  general  manager  expressed  his  preference  in  em- 
ploying high  school  graduates  to  non-high  school  grad- 
uates, for  high  school  graduates  who  had  been  taught 
domestic  art  through  the  elementary  and  secondary  schools 
Avere  much  more  efficient  employees  than  the  undergrad- 
uates. 

Within  a  few  months  this  factory  will  be  prepared  to 
throw  open  to  its  employees  ample  sized  lunch  room  and 
rest  rooms  with  complete  furnishings.  This  will  afford 
for  all  those  who  participate  in  the  comforts  such  oppor- 
tunities as  only  a  modern  industry  can  extend  to  its  em- 
ployees. This  means  more  rest  and  time  for  social  inter- 
course among  its  employees. 

This  industry  has  and  will  continue  to  mean  much  to 
the  city  of  Decatur,  for  it  has  given  employment  the  last 
nineteen  years  to  many  of  our  residents,  it  has  affected 
living  conditions ;  it  has  aided  many  a  person  to  meet  the 
high  cost  of  living;  it  has  brought  comforts  to  many  homes, 
sometimes  luxuries ;  it  has  been  the  means  of  helping  many 
a  person  to  be  able  to  furnish  the  necessaries  of  life  for 


120  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

his  or  her  dependents;  and  its  products  administer  to  all 
classes  alike.  This  industry  at  present  has  in  its  employ- 
ment seventy-five  employees ;  namely,  bookkeepers,  sten- 
ographers, designers,  cutters,  inspectors,  hand  pressers, 
machine  operators,  shipping  and  billing  clerks,  engineers, 
salesmen,  and  custodians,  etc. 

Any  person  seeking  employment  in  this  industry  must 
possess  both  a  good  character  and  reputation. 

The  materials  which  are  shipped  to  this  factory,  arrive 
in  large  quantities,  called  piece-goods,  sometimes  as  many 
as  sixty  to  eighty  yards  in  a  bolt.  This  firm  purchases 
nearly  all  its  materials  through  the  aid  of  a  New  York 
agency  which  sells  for  the  best  eastern  cotton  mills.  The 
same  materials  that  sold  for  6^4  cents  per  yard  in  large 
quantities  less  than  five  years  ago  can  not  be  bought  for 
less  than  36  cents  per  yard  by  the  case  and  in  small  quan- 
tities. 

A  very  little  amount — only  3  per  cent — of  the  finished 
products  are  sold  to  local  merchants ;  the  remainder  of 
output  is  shipped  to  all  parts  of  the  United  States.  This 
company  is  well  represented  by  efficient  traveling  salesmen 
who  through  competent  management  keep  the  amount  of 
ready  stock  in  the  stock  room  low ;  that  is,  the  orders 
come  in  so  rapidly,  the  company  with  its  full  force  of  em- 
ployees working  forty-four  hours  per  week  can  not  supply 
the  heavy  demands.  The  Osgood  Manufacturing  indus- 
try will  continue  in  business  at  the  present  location,  unless 
through  the  growing  demands  of  the  public  it  will  be 
necessary  to  move  to  other  quarters  for  the  needs  of  more 
space  to  compete  with  other  industries  of  the  same  class. 


LUMBERING  INDUSTRY 

THE   BUILDERS'   LUMBER   COMPANY 

Most  woods  used  in  The  Builders'  Lumber  Company 
are  yellow  pine,  oak,  fir,  red  gum,  hard  maple,  cypress, 
and  red  wood.  The  fir  comes  from  Washington  and  Ore- 
gon.    A  great  deal  of  the  wood  comes  from  the  Western 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  121 

and  Southern  States.  The  most  valuable  wood  in  this 
lumber  yard  is  the  golden  oak,  which  is  used  for  furniture. 
There  are  sixty-five  different  kinds  of  oak.  The  best  hard 
woods  are  from  the  Northern  States. 

The  lumber  men  have  a  great  deal  of  work  in  the  office. 
In  the  lumber  yard,  men  make  w.indow  frames  and  after- 
wards put  glass  in  them.  They  make  doors  and  orna- 
mental work,  as  porch  steps  and  porch  pillars.  The  men 
in  the  office  keep  a  record  of  all  sales  and  the  buying  of 
lumber.  Workmen  make  the  window  cases,  porch  steps, 
cabinets,  and  do  all  kinds  of  work  except  sawing  the  wood. 
Machinery  is  used  to  saw  the  wood.  The  busy  season  is 
during  the  spring,  summer,  and  autumn. 

The  number  of  men  employed  by  The  Builders  Lum- 
ber Company  is  twenty-three  or  twenty-four.  The  annual 
sales  amount  to  three  hundred  thousand  dollars  and  the 
annual  pay  roll  amounts  to  thirty  thousand  dollars.  Each 
man  gets  twelve  or  fifteen  hundred  dollars  a  year.  They 
send  very  little  lumber  out  of  Decatur,  but  when  they  do, 
any  route  is  used,  according  to  the  direction  in  which  it 
is  sent.  When  the  rough  wood  is  sent  away  it  is  just 
stacked  in  the  car  loose,  but  when  finished  wood  is  sent 
it  is  either  crated  or  tied. 

They  employ  Americans,  as  there  are  many  agitators 
among  foreigners.  They  do  not  have  difficulty  in  getting 
men  but  it  is  hard  to  get  trained  men  that  know  the  bus- 
iness. The  inexperienced  men  are  difficult  to  train.  The 
lumber  business  has  increased  in  the  last  year.  The  em- 
ployees in  the  lumber  yard  were  each  given  a  goose  at 
Thanksgiving  and  at  Christmas.  The  company  is  consid- 
ering a  plan  to  allow  employees,  at  some  future  time,  a 
certain  per  cent  of  the  profits. 


DECATUR  LUMBER  AND  MANUFACTURING 
COMPANY 

Soft  woods  are  used  principally  by  the  Decatur  Lumber 
and  Manufacturing  Company.  The  most  expensive  wood 
they  have  is  the  mahogany,  but  the  most  valuable  kind  is 


122  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


the  quarter-sawed  white  oak.  Other  woods  are  the  birch 
(which  is  used  for  ivory  furniture),  yellow  pine,  red  wood, 
spruce,  and  gum.  They  get  their  wood  from  the  North 
and  the  West.  The  gum  is  plentiful  and  cheap.  East 
India  mahogany  and  walnut  wood  is  very  scarce.  A  great 
deal  of  wood  comes  to  this  company  from  Tacoma,  Wash- 
ington. A  Tacoma  picture  was  sent  to  this  company 
showing  some  logs  cut  by  the  Tacoma  Fir  Door  Company. 
One  log  cut  was  28  feet  long  8^^  feet  in  diameter  at  top, 
lOyz  feet  in  diameter  at  butt.  The  log  contained  12,600 
feet  of  lumber. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  office  and  yard  work  to  be 
done,  because  people  are  constantly  building.  The  busy 
season  is  from  the  first  of  March  until  the  latter  part  of 
November.  All  kinds  of  furniture  such  as  chairs,  cabinets, 
chests  and  cupboards,  is  manufactured.  Doors  are  made 
and  ornamental  work  is  done.  They  have  two  heavy 
trucks,  and  two  light  trucks  and  one  team  of  mules  for 
use  in  delivery.  They  use  two  tons  of  coal  a  day  with 
the  shavings.  City  electricity  is  used  in  the  office,  but  they 
make  their  own  electricity  to  run  the  machinery. 

When  the  men  are  putting  the  putty  on  the  windows 
they  use  Spanish  whitening  to  keep  it  from  sticking  to 
their  hands  and  it  also  makes  the  putty  thicker.  They 
use  the  first  floor  for  the  glueing  and  storage,  the  second 
floor  for  the  cutting,  the  third  floor  for  machinery,  and 
the  fourth  floor  for  finishing  articles. 

The  Decatur  Lumber  Company  employs  from  seventy 
to  eighty  men.  The  company's  annual  sales  amount  to 
three  hundred  eighty-five  thousand  dollars  a  year  and  they 
pay  out  eighty  thousand  dollars  to  the  employees.  They 
do  not  have  any  foreign  trade.  Not  much  shipping  is  done 
from  Illinois.  But  some  shipments  are  made  to  Missouri. 
They  use  any  of  the  railroads  running  through  Decatur 
for  shipping  their  lumber. 

Most  of  the  employees  are  Americans.  About  one-tenth 
of  the  men  they  employ  are  Germans.  Very  few  are  of 
other  nationalities.     They  have  great  difficulty  in  getting 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  123 


skilled  men,  and  when  they  get  untrained  men  it  is  hard 
to  instruct  them.  The  lumber  business  has  increased 
greatly  in  the  last  year.  On  Christmas  they  gave  each  of 
their  employees  two  dollars  and  they  carry  insurance  for 
protection  against  sickness  and  injuries  of  their  men. 

The  company  was  incorporated  in  1887  with  a  capital 
stock  of  about  $30,000.  The  incorporating  members  were 
F.  M.  Gaddis,  James  Wiswell,  W.  J.  Hufif,  H.  M.  Prescott, 
T.  V.  Jones,  and  W.  H.  Acuff.  The  present  members  are 
T.  V.  Jones,  J.  L.  Kitchen,  A.  S.  Knouff,  W.  L.  Hull,  L.  C. 
Gaddis,  and  H.  U.  Jones.  The  capital  stock  now  is  $100,- 
000.00  with  a  surplus  of  $130,000.00. 


L.   SWISHER   LUMBER   COMPANY 

The  L.  Swisher  Lumber  Company  was  organized  in 
1906,  by  Mr.  L.  Swisher,  who  is  the  present  owner. 

The  dififerent  kinds  of  woods  used  are  yellow  pine, 
oak,  poplar,  birch,  gum,  and  fir.  The  most  valuable  kinds 
are  oak  and  birch.  Oak  is  obtained  from  Missouri  and 
birch  from  Wisconsin. 

There  is  a  good  deal  of  work  to  be  done  in  the  yard 
and  in  the  office.  In  the  yard,  eight  men,  who  are  me- 
chanics and  bench  men,  work  with  the  saws.  Much  built- 
in  furniture,  such  as  bookcases,  china  closets,  and  cup- 
boards, is  made.  Windows  and  doors  are  constructed. 
All  the  machinery  is  well  guarded  to  prevent  accidents. 
Eight  men  deliver  material,  and  four  men  attend  to  the 
work  in  the  office.  There  are  twenty  employees.  The 
first  floor  is  used  for  glueing  and  cutting,  the  second,  for 
the  storage  of  finished  articles.  The  power  used  is  elec- 
trical. A  furnace  and  stoves  provide  heat.  The  ventila- 
tion is  good.  A  small  room  is  used  by  the  employees 
for  a  lunch  room.  Recent  improvements  include  a  mill 
and  office  building. 

The  annual  sales  at  this  lumber  yard  amount  to  $120,- 
000.  The  amount  paid  to  workmen  annually  is  $20,000. 
All  employees  are  Americans.  It  is  difficult  to  get  trained 
workmen.  Machine  men  and  bench  men  are  always  in 
demand.     The  business  has  increased  greatly  the  last  year. 


124  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

G.  S.  LYON  AND  SONS  LUMBER  AND 
MANUFACTURING  COMPANY 

The  G.  S.  Lyon  and  Sons  Lumber  and  Manufacturing 
Company  was  incorporated  in  1878  by  William  Gepson, 
G.  S.  Lyon,  and  John  Armstrong.  The  firm  was  then 
known  as  Lyon,  Gepson  and  Company.  In  1888  Mr.  Gep- 
son sold  out  to  Lyon  and  Armstrong  and  this  name  was 
given  to  the  company.  In  1894  Mr.  Armstrong  sold  out 
to  Lyon  and  Sons,  the  present  owners.  The  material  used 
by  this  company  is  all  kinds  of  wood.  But  the  most  valu- 
able woods  are  the  red  oak  and  the  quarter-sawqd  white 
oak.  Most  wood  comes  from  the  South  or  West.  Cypress, 
red  gum,  and  yellow  pine  come  from  the  South,  and  the 
giant  redwood  from  the  West. 

This  company  employs  sixty  men.  The  employees  are 
all  Americans  or  naturalized  citizens.  In  the  yard,  the 
men  unload  lumber,  stack  lumber,  and  load  it  onto  wagons. 
There  are  from  twelve  to  fourteen  wagons  and  five  teams. 
They  have .  more  wagons  than  teams  so  that  the  teams 
are  never  kept  waiting.  When  a  load  of  lumber  is  brought 
in  they  unhitch  the  horses,  then  hitch  them  to  a  loaded 
wagon  ready  for  another  trip.  They  also  use  two  auto- 
mobile trucks. 

In  January  there  is  a  great  deal  of  work  to  be  done 
in  the  office.  At  this  time  of  the  year  inventories  are 
made  to  show  what  material  is  on  hand  and  what  ma- 
terial must  be  ordered,  that  they  may  prepare  for  the  sum- 
mer rush. 

Much  built-in  furniture,  such  as  cupboards,  china  clos- 
ets, and  bookcases,  is  manufactured.  In  making  cabinets 
and  china  closets,  no  nails  are  used.  Glue  is  used  for  the 
construction  of  these  articles.  Glue  is  obtained  in  flakes 
and  heated  in  a  big  iron  kettle.  When  the  glue  is  heated 
to  150  degrees  it  is  removed,  placed  in  small  kettles  and 
kept  to  use  as  needed. 

The  building  is  protected  against  fires  by  steel  doors. 
All  doors  are  kept  closed.  A  sprinkler  system  is  em- 
ployed, run  by  their  own  water  supply. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  125 

The  first  floor  is  used  for  a  workshop  in  getting  the 
lumber  sawed  up.  Glueing  of  cabinets  and  construction 
of  all  kinds  of  doors,  window  sashes,  and  screen  doors, 
are  all  attended  to  on  the  second  floor. 

The  company  makes  electricity  for  its  own  use.  There 
is  a  large  fan  on  the  first  floor  which  is  used  to  take  shav- 
ings from  all  machines  to  the  furnace.  Steam  heat  is  used 
all  over  the  building. 


THE  DECATUR  MALLEABLE  IRON  COMPANY 

There  is  no  metal  known  to  man  more  useful  than  iron. 
The  fundamental  principles  of  all  industries  are  founded 
on  iron,  and  hardly  a  day  passes  that  we  do  not  use  it 
in  some  form. 

There  are  different  kinds  of  iron ;  in  this  story  we  are 
interested  in  malleable  iron.  There  is  every  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  this  particular  kind  of  iron  was  used  among 
the  early  Greeks  and  Romans.  The  early  process  must 
have  been  very  crude  as  compared  to  the  modern  methods. 

Malleable  iron  foundries  are  located  in  England  and 
United  States.  The  largest  foundries  are  located  around 
the  Great  Lakes,  because  of  great  commerce  for  castings 
in  that  region. 

The  Decatur  Malleable  Iron  Company  is  located  north- 
east of  Decatur,  Illinois,  and  faces  Curtis  Street.  The  men 
who  established  this  plant,  were  interested  by  the  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce  in  the  plant  of  the  Curtis  Motor  Truck 
Company  and  took  over  the  idle  plant  in  June,  1916.  They 
have  more  than  doubled  the  buildings  and  doubled  their 
output  in  the  last  two  years  and  expect  to  again  double 
their  plant  in  the  next  few  years. 

Their  property  consists  of  ten  acres,  four  of  which 
are  covered  by  buildings.  The  two  main  buildings  con- 
tain the  core  room,  cleaning,  grinding,  annealing,  and  ship- 
ping rooms.  There  are  several  other  buildings,  the  main 
office,    pattern    and    pattern    storage    sheds.     It    is   a   cor- 


126  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


poration  with  a  capital  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars 
($200,000). 

This  industry  employs  over  two  hundred  people,  of 
which  fifty  per  cent  are  foreigners  and  fifteen  per  cent  are 
women.  The  women  do  special  work,  such  as  making  and 
cleaning  cores. 

The  raw  materials  used  to  make  malleable  castings  are 
pig  iron  produced  by  blast  furnaces,  scraps  of  malleable 
iron,  and  silica  sand,  moulding  sand,  and  fire  brick  and 
tire  clay.  Pig  iron  comes  from  Michigan,  Ohio,  Missouri, 
Wisconsin,  and  Illinois.  Moulding  sand  comes  from  Ohio, 
Indiana,  and  Illinois.  Silica  sand  comes  from  Central  Illi- 
nois, lake  sand  from  Indiana,  fire  brick  from  Ohio,  Penn- 
sylvania, Kentucky,  Missouri,  and  Illinois,  and  fire  clay 
comes  from  Missouri. 

Pig  iron  with  iron  spruce  and  scraps  are  trucked  from 
the  storage  yard,  weighed  and  put  into  large  buckets 
which  are  lifted  by  air  hoists  and  dumped  into  a  melting 
furnace.  The  iron  is  heated  by  the  use  of  coal  until  it 
reaches  its  proper  mixture  and  temperature,  when  it  is 
tapped  from  the  furnace  into  ladles  on  trucks  or  carried 
by  molders  to  sand  moulds.  These  molds  are  made  by 
pressing  metal  patterns  into  the  sand  and  ramming  the 
sand  about  it,  then  removing  the  pattern  and  putting  sand 
cores  where  you  do  not  wish  the  melted  iron  to  flow. 

When  the  metal  has  cooled,  the  moulds  are  dumped 
on  the  floor  and  the  castings  are  then  taken  into  the  hard 
iron  room  where  they  are  cleaned  in  tumbling  mills  and 
inspected.  The  castings  are  ground  in  the  grinding  room 
and  then  taken  into  the  annealing  room,  and  packed  into 
large  stands  or  pots  and  surrounded  by  dead  iron  and  slag 
and  placed  in  annealing  ovens.  Here  they  are  slowly 
heated  and  cooled  for  seven  days  and  nights,  the  iron 
undergoing  a  change  from  hard  iron  to  malleable  or  iron 
that  will  bend  a  certain  amount  without  breaking. 

The  castings  are  then  taken  out  of  these  pots  and  again 
cleaned   in  tumbling  mills  and   sand   blast  machines,  and 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  127 

they  are  again  inspected  to  make  sure  they  are  in  good 
condition  before  they  are  sorted. 

The  castings  are  then  placed  into  bags  and  weighed 
and  sent  to  different  customers  in  IlHnois,  Michigan,  Ohio, 
Indiana,  Missouri,  Iowa,  and  New  York. 

The  castings  are  used  in  the  manufacture  of  automo- 
biles, in  agricultural  implem'ents,  railroad  equipments,  and 
different  industrial  uses. 

The  transportation  of  raw  materials  and  finished  pro- 
ducts is  taken  care  of  by  the  Illinois  Traction  System,  the 
Wabash,  the  Pennsylvania,  the  Illinois  Central,  and  the 
C.  I.  &  W. 


DANZEISENS  PACKING  HOUSE 

Decatur's  largest  packing  house,  Danzeisen's,  is  located 
in  the  south  part  of  the  city  near  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road. The  nearness  of  the  railroad  makes  shipping  very 
convenient. 

Before  the  year  1909  Danzeisen's  was  just  a  retail  house. 
In  that  year  the  building  was  destroyed  by  fire.  When  it 
was  rebuilt  it  was  made  larger  and  became  a  packing  house 

The  average  work  per  week  is  as  follows :  eight  hun- 
dred hogs,  eighty  to  one  hundred  cattle,  twenty  sheep  and 
twenty  calves.  The  reason  they  do  not  kill  more  animals 
is  that  this  is  enough  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  people. 
About  forty-five  men  are  employed  daily. 

In  tracing  a  pig  through  the  packing  house  we  see  it 
go  in  alive  and  come  out  as  sausage,  hams,  bacon,  shoul- 
ders, and  lard.  In  going  on  this  journey  it  passes  through 
the  killing  room,  coolers,  cutting,  curing,  smoking,  and 
packing  rooms. 

Danzeisen's  have  their  own  dynamo  which  furnishes 
all  the  power  for  their  light,  cooling,  and  for  running 
machinery. 

Animals  are  secured  daily  from  farmers  around  De- 
catur, cities  nearby,  and  from  places  as  far  away  as  Omaha, 
Nebraska.  No  meat  is  shipped  outside  of  Illinois,  for  this 
packing  house  does  not  have  government  inspection. 


128  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

THE  MACON  COUNTY  COAL  COMPANY 

The  Macon  County  Coal  Company  is  located  in  the 
south  part  of  the  city,  in  the  seven  hundred  block  between 
South  Franklin  and  Main  Streets.  It  is  about  fourteen 
years  old.     Bituminous  coal  is  mined. 

The  mine  is  about  six  hundred  feet  deep  and  the  vein 
is  about  four  feet  thick  on  the  average. 

The  coal  is  mined  by  hand.  It  is  loosened  in  the  vein 
by  digging  dirt  out  from  beneath  it  and  driving  a  bar  in 
and  pulling  it  down  with  a  pick.  The  miners  use  explo- 
sives only  when  they  come  to  a  hard  layer  of  rock.  After 
the  coal  is  loosened  in  the  vein  it  is  loaded  onto  cars. 

The  slate  is  separated  from  the  coal  as  it  is  loaded  on 
the  cars.  Then  it  is  hoisted  to  the  tipple.  When  the  coal 
is  hoisted  to  the  tipple  it  is  dumped  on  an  iron  screen 
which  sorts  the  coal  into  different  sizes. 

There  are  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  men  employed 
in  this  mine.  They  mine  an  average  of  eight  hundred 
and  fifty  tons  per  day.  Most  of  the  coal  mined  in  De- 
catur is  used  in  the  city,  the  remainder  being  shipped  away. 

There  is  also  another  mine  in  Decatur  in  the  one  hun- 
dred block  North  Broadway.  It  is  called  the  Decatur  Coal 
Company. 


DECATUR'S  WATER  SUPPLY 

When  a  family  or  factory  chooses  a  new  location,  one 
of  the  most  vital  features  of  the  place  to  be  considered 
is  its  water  supply.  Water  must  be  plentiful  in  case  of 
drought  or  fire  and  adequate  for  the  use  of  factories.  It 
must  be  pure  to  prevent  disease,  and  should  be  reasonably 
priced  to  keep  down  the  high  cost  of  living. 

The  Sangamon  River,  Decatur's  source  of  water  sup- 
ply, drains  a  watershed  covering  860  square  miles.  If  its 
water  were  properly  impounded  it  would  supply  all  the 
families  and  factories  which  Decatur  can  hope  to  have  in 
future  years. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  129 

Decatur  officials  are  planning  the  construction  of  a  dam 
across  the  Sangamon  River  near  the  present  site  of  the 
County  Bridge.  This  dam  will  form  a  lake  which  will 
store  up  water  for  Decatur.  It  is  expected  that  it  will  be 
completed  before  January  1st,  1921.  It  is  to  be  about  1,500 
feet  long  and  wide  enough  for  a  wagon  road.  The  lake 
which  the  dam  will  cause  to  be  formed  will  cover  about 
3,000  acres  and  will  be  from  eleven  to  fifteen  miles  in 
length  and  about  one  and  one-half  miles  wide.  It  will 
impound  about  four  billion   gallons  of  water. 

The  cost  of  this  improvement  will  be  about  one  and  a 
quarter  million  dollars,  including  the  actual  cost  of  the 
dam,  cost  of  the  land  covered  by  the  lake  and  the  necessary 
raising  of  roads  and  bridges,  and  will  be  raised  by  special 
taxation. 

These  are  some  of  the  advantages  and  benefits  which 
Decatur  hopes  to  derive  from  the  investment  of  this  money 
in  water  compounding, — 

It  will  make  Decatur  grow.  Factories  will  recognize 
the  advantages  offered  and  will  wish  to  locate  here.  Fac- 
tories bring  families. 

It  will  make  Decatur  a  better  city  by  furnishing  to  her 
residents  all  the  amusements  which  a  large  body  of  water 
afifords.  There  will  be  an  opportunity  for  skating,  fishing, 
rowing  and  the  use  of  motor  boats.  Swimming  will  be 
provided  in  properly  constructed  pools.  It  will  improve 
our  park  system  and  add  many  delightful  roads  for  motor- 
ing. Decatur  will  make  the  vicinity  of  the  lake  a  play- 
ground for  both  old  and  young. 

Sangamon  River  water  is  unusually  pure  and  free  from 
harmful  germs,  but  to  make  it  doubly  safe  for  her  people 
Decatur  provides  a  filter  plant  where  water  is  clarified, 
purified  and  tested  by  chemical  processes.  No  epidemic 
of  a  serious  nature  has  ever  been  traced  to  the  drinking 
of  city  water.     Decatur's  drinking  water  is  pure. 

Decatur  has  the  lowest  water  rate  of  any  city  of  its 
size  in  the  state  of  Illinois. 


130  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

To  families  and  small  consumers  of  less  than  5,000 
gallons  per  quarter,  water  is  furnished  at  $1.00  per  5,000 
gallons. 

Consumers  of  from  5,000  to  10,000  gallons  per  quarter 
pay  $1.50. 

When  water  is  used  in  very  large  quantities,  as  by  fac- 
tories, it  costs  4  cents  per  1,000  gallons. 

Upon  Decatur's  assured  plentiful  supply  of  pure,  cheap 
water  depends  largely  her  hope  for  future  growth  and 
prosperity,  and  her  promise  of  a  better  Decatur  for  both 
young  and  old.     Watch  Decatur  grow! 


UNITED  STATES  WIRE  MAT  COMPANY 

The  United  States  Wire  Mat  Company  was  established 
in  1901  on  Industry  Court,  but  owing  to  its  growth  the 
erection  of  a  new  building  was  necessary.  The  second 
building  is  now  located  on  the  corner  of  East  Wood  and 
Franklin  Streets,  which  is  the  main  office  building.  The 
first  building  is  used  now  for  packing  and  making  of  their 
own  machinery. 

The  main  products  of  the  factory  are  the  Flexible  Wire 
Mat  and  ten  different  makes  of  Fly  Swatters,  although 
many  other  products   of  less  importance  are  made  here. 

The  Wire  Mat  is  partly  responsible  for  the  growth 
and  permanence  of  the  United  States   Line. 

The  original  fly  swatter  was  made  by  this  company 
and  their  most  widely  distributed  product.  It  is  used  as 
much  in  its  home  country  as  in  foreign  lands,  being  ex- 
ported to  Europe,  North  and  South  Africa,  Asia,  Aus- 
tralia, South  America,  and  Java. 

During  the  World  War  this  fly  swatter  was  known  as 
a  friend  to  every  soldier,  whether  in  the  camps  or  hos- 
pitals. One  reported  he  would  just  as  soon  die  as  be 
without  his  swatter. 

In  fact  almost  every  place  you  find  flies  you  will  find 
one  of  those  United  States  death-dealing  fly  swatters  made 
in  Decatur. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  131 

THE  DECATUR  TENT  &  AWNING  CO. 

The  Decatur  Tent  &  Awning  Co.,  located  at  140  North 
Franklin  Street,  was  established  in   1879. 

At  the  Tent  &  Awning  Co.  they  make  tents  of  all  kinds, 
awnings,  sleeping  porch  curtains,  stack  covers,  and  other 
canvas  goods  of  all  kinds.  The  tents  and  awnings  are 
used  in  the  warm  weather,  therefore  the  spring  and  sum- 
mer are  the  busy  seasons.  At  that  time  they  employ  about 
six  people,  and  at  other  times  about  three. 

The  material  is  obtained  from  jobbing  houses  in  Chi- 
cago, Boston,  St.  Louis,  and  sometimes  New  York.  Their 
tactory  has  a  great  amount  of  business  around  central  Illi- 
nois. Sometimes  they  get  orders  from  Arkansas  and  other 
outside  states.  The  gypsies  like  the  style  of  tents  that 
the  Tent  &  Awning  Co.  makes,  therefore  they  get  many 
orders  from  them. 


THE  DECATUR  COFFIN  COMPANY 

The  Coffin  Company  of  Decatur,  which  is  located  on  the 
corner  of  North  Morgan  and  East  North  Streets,  was  estab- 
lished in  1873  by  T.  T.  Roberts,  O.  Z.  Greene,  and  Captain 
R.  P.  Lytle.  A  few  years  later  Captain  Lytle  retired  from 
the  firm,  the  business  was  continued  by  Mr.  Roberts  and 
Mr.  Greene,  and  incorporated  by  them  in  1882.  Mr.  Greene 
died  several  years  ago  and  Mr.  Roberts  was  president  from 
this  time  until  his  death  in  November,  1919.  No  successor 
has  yet  been  appointed.  The  factory  is  a  five-story  struc- 
ture occupying  six  city  lots.  Of  the  one  hundred  fifty  large 
and  small  coffin  factories  in  the  United  States,  the  Decatur 
plant  ranks  among  the  best  and  is  about  tenth  in  size.  The 
employees  of  the  plant  number  one  hundred  twenty-five, 
counting  men  and  women.  The  hard  wood  products  used 
are  walnut,  oak  and  mahogany,  and  come  mostly  from  Ar- 
kansas, Tennessee,  and  West  Virginia.  The  soft  wood 
products  come  from  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  and  the  Pacific 
Coast.     California  red  wood  is  used  for  crating.    Very  ex- 


132  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

pensive  cloth  such  as  silk,  broadcloth,  and  lace,  comes  from 
France  and  Japan.  Ninety-five  percent  of  the  trade  is  car- 
ried on  outside  of  Macon  County. 


UNION  IRON  WORKS 

The  Union  Iron  Works  was  incorporated  in  1882  and  re- 
incorporated in  1913.  The  officers  are:  President,  Porter  J. 
Millikin ;  Vice-President,  H.  C.  Dempsey,  the  other  offices 
unfilled  being  under  advisement.  This  organization  em- 
ployed between  one  hundred  twenty-five  and  one  hundred 
fifty  persons.  The  trade  of  the  organization  extends 
throughout  the  United  States  and  foreign  countries.  Every- 
thing in  grain  handling  machinery  is  made  at  the  plant  of 
the  Union  Iron  Works.  The  materials  used  are  from  Penn- 
sylvania, and  hard  oak  from  northern  timbers,  also  sheet 
iron  from  various  United  States  mills.  The  Union  Iron 
Works  has  been  in  Decatur  about  forty  years,  and  during 
that  time  it  has  proved  very  useful  to  the  industrial  power 
of  this  city. 


THE  E-Z  OPENER  BAG  COMPANY 

The  E-Z  Opener  Bag  Company  has  had  its  plant  in  De- 
catur for  eight  years.  Mr.  H.  D.  Warner  is  the  manager 
of  the  Decatur  plant.  The  company  has  five  plants  alto- 
gether. Three  of  the  plants  are  engaged  in  making  the 
paper  bags,  while  the  remaining  two  make  the  paper  from 
the  pulp  sent  to  them  from  the  pulp  mills. 

The  three  plants  that  are  engaged  in  making  the  bags 
are  situated  in  Decatur,  Illinois;  New  Orleans,  Louisiana, 
and  Orange,  Texas.  One  paper  mill  is  situated  at  Taylor- 
ville,  Illinois,  while  the  other  is  in  Indiana. 

The  pulp  is  sent  to  the  mills  from  the  yellow  pine  pulp 
mills  in  the  South,  and  the  spruce  and  hemlock  mills  in  the 
North.  Then  the  paper  is  sent  to  the  three  plants  men- 
tioned above  and  the  paper  bags  are  made. 

The  output  of  bags  daily  in  the  Decatur  plant  is  two 
million  five  hundred  thousand.     They  also  use  every  day 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  133 

twenty-five  tons  of  paper  in  making  the  bags  and  one  thou- 
sand pounds  of  flour  in  making  the  paste.  They  have  fifty 
machines  working  all  the  time  and  employ  two  hundred 
men  and  women.  At  noon  these  people  are  furnished  with 
-coffee,  which  is  a  satisfactory  convenience. 

The  paper  bags  are  sent  to  almost  every  state  in  the 
Union,  but  none  are  exported  outside  of  the  United  States. 

These  fifty  machines  are  hard  at  work  making  various 
kinds  of  bags.  They  are  made  in  different  sizes  and  colors. 
The  brown  bags  are  made  out  of  paper  from  the  yellow  pine 
and  the  white  bags  are  made  out  of  paper  from  the  spruce 
and  hemlock  trees.  The  yellow  bags  are  dyed.  They  make 
grocers'  bags,  milliners'  bags  and  bags  for  the  dry  cleaners. 
The  sugar  bags  are  made  extra  heavy.  If  the  buyer  wishes 
to  have  an  advertisement  printed  on  the  bags,  the  company 
will  do  it  for  him. 

The  sacks  are  packed  in  packages  of  five  hundred  lots, 
and  ten  thousand  of  them  make  a  bale.  The  E-Z  Opener 
Bag  Company's  trade  mark  is  just  merely  the  words  "Trade 
Mark." 

The  plant  is  situated  by  the  Wabash  Railroad  and  Pine 
Street. 


THE  FLINT,  EATON  &  COMPANY 

This  business  was  started  in  February,  1897. 

Its  first  home  was  in  a  small  basement  room  in  the 
Millikin  Bank  building,  having  a  total  floor  space  of  230 
square  feet.  From  there  the  business  was  taken  to  West 
Wood  Street,  to  rooms  of  700  square  feet  of  floor  space. 
After  two  years,  it  was  again  moved,  this  time  to  West 
Main  and  Church  Streets,  to  two  rooms  of  1500  square  feet 
of  space.  Here  it  remained  for  about  five  years,  when  it 
was  located  at  the  corner  of  East  Main  and  Franklin 
Streets.  Here  3600  square  feet  of  floor  space  were  occu- 
pied for  twelve  years,  moving  to  its  present  quarters  April 
1,  1917,  where  they  have  17,000  square  feet  of  floor  space. 


134  CITY    OF   DECATUR 

They  are  occupying  about  eighty  times  as  much  room 
as  they  did  in  the  beginning.  They  sell  to  physicians  only. 
The  first  few  years  they  suppHed  fluid  goods  only,  but 
the  line  of  goods  made  has  gradually  developed  until  now 
they  make  liquids,  ointments,  powders,  tablets,  and  in  fact 
about  everything  the  dispensing  physician  needs  in  his 
practice.  This  is  all  sold  in  bulk  packages  at  wholesale 
to  them.  The  firm  was  incorporated  under  its  present 
name  fifteen  years  ago.  They  employ  ten  traveling  sales- 
men and  fifteen  people  are  regularly  employed  at  the  lab- 
oratory. 

The  capacity  of  the  tablet  department  is  400,000  tablets 
per  day.  One  machine  makes  about  400  per  minute.  To 
make  these  tablets  the  raw  material  is  ground,  mixed  and 
put  on  shelves  to  dry.  This  is  then  put  in  a  big  kettle 
to  be  made  into  finer  powder.  Two  five-pound  balls  are 
put  in  on  top  of  the  powder.  This  is  rolled  around  until 
the  powder  is  very  fine.  It  is  then  put  in  the  tablet  machine 
to  be  made  into  tablets.  It  is  a  very  simple  way,  as  you 
only  have  to  keep  the  machine  in  order  and  filled.  Those 
tablets  that  are  to  be  sugar  coated  are  put  in  a  syrup. 
These  uncolored  tablets  are  put  in  a  big  kettle  with  the 
color  mixture  in  it.  They  also  are  rolled  around  until  they 
are  thoroughly  coated.  Next  they  are  dried  and  put  in 
bottles,  sealed  up,  and  sent  to  various  physicians. 

The  raw  materials  come  from  Egypt,  Peru,  South  Sea 
Islands,  Russia,  United  States,  and  practically  from  all  over 
the  world. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  DECATUR  DRUG  STORE 

On  April  1,  1897,  Mr.  H.  C.  Burks,  who  came  here 
from  Chicago,  bought  the  drug  store  which  was  in  the  old 
Opera  building  where  the  Powers  building  and  the  Orlando 
Hotel  now  stand. 

Although  others  had  failed  in  this  same  location,  Mr. 
Burks  was  able  to  make  it  a  paying  business. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  135 

He  called  his  place  of  business  the  Opera  House  Phar- 
macy, later  changing  it  to  the  Decatur  Drug  Store. 

It  was  forty  feet  by  fifty  feet,  and  his  stock  was  valued 
at  twelve  hundred  dollars.  Mr.  Burks  with  the  help  of 
one  boy  ran  this  place  for  two  years. 

They  sold  drugs,  candies  and  ice  cream.  Also  for  three 
years  they  sold  opera  tickets.  Mr.  Frank  A.  McBride  came 
in  1899  as  clerk.  Mr.  H.  L.  Roth,  who  is  now  vice-presi- 
dent, came  as  errand  boy  in  1900,  and  in  1901  Mr.  McBride 
went  on  the  road  selling  drugs  to  doctors  of  small  towns. 
Other  clerks  took  his  place. 

Mr.  McBride  resigned  and  Mr.  Alfred  Piatt  and  Mr. 
Mallory  took  his  place.  Mr.  McBride  came  back  in  1908 
and  traveled  for  them  until  May  1,  1919. 

Now  Mr.  Robert  Johnson,  formerly  of  the  Park  Davis 
Co.,  Detroit,  Mich.,  and  Mr.  Stevens,  formerly  of  the  J.  T. 
Millikin  Co.,  St.  Louis,  travel  for  them. 

Business  increased  until  rooms  were  so  crowded  that 
in  1909  they  moved  to  331-333  North  Water  Street.  This 
store  is  forty  feet  by  one  hundred  fifty  feet,  and  the  shelves 
measure  5310  feet. 

They  incorporated  the  business  in  1915,  with  Mr.  H.  C. 
Burks  as  president,  Mr.  H.  L.  Roth  as  vice-president,  and 
Mr.  W.  J.  Dearth  as  secretary  and  treasurer. 

They  have  now  bought  a  five-story  building,  334-355 
North  Water  Street,  which  they  are  remodeling. 

This  is  to  be  their  permanent  home.  It  will  be  sixty 
feet  by  one  hundred  fifty  feet.  They  will  be  in  the  new 
store  about  February  1,  1920. 

When  this  store  started  Mr.  Burks  attended  it  with  the 
help  of  an  errand  boy  for  two  years.  It  now  employs 
thirty-six  people.  It  has  grown  to  be  the  largest  whole- 
sale drug  store  in  Illinois  outside  of  Chicago  and  Peoria. 


THE  SUFFERN-HUNT  MILLS 
The  Sufifern  Hunt  Mills  are  owned  by  the  American 
Hominy  Company,  whose  headquarters  are  in  Indianapolis. 
There  are  seven  branches,  four  of  which  are  located  in  In- 


136  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


diana,  one  in  Terre  Haute,  one  in  Mount  Vernon,  and  two 
in  Indianapolis.  There  are  also  three  mills  in  Decatur, 
Illinois.    Mr.  Bates  is  president  of  the  company. 

Two  of  these  mills,  Plants  E  and  G,  having  three  private 
tracks,  and  employing  one  hundred  men,  are  located  on  the 
Wabash  Railroad,  between  Union  and  Church  Streets.  The 
height  of  the  mill  proper  is  one  hundred  ten  feet,  while  that 
of  the  corn  elevator,  which  has  a  capacity  of  three  hundred 
thousand  bushels,  is  one  hundred  twenty-five  feet.  The 
new  wheat  refinery  will  hold  eighty  thousand  bushels,  and 
is  one  hundred  thirty-five  feet  high.  Both  the  smokestack 
and  water  tower  are  one  hundred  fifty  feet  in  height.  There 
are  four  large  boilers.  The  exhaust  steam  runs  through  a 
pipe  to  the  cooling  pond  outside,  which  has  a  capacity  of 
five  hundred  thousand  gallons  of  water.  Here  it  is  sprayed 
into  the  air  through  thirty  sprayers,  this  process  converting 
it  into  water.  'It  is  then  taken  back  to  the  boilers,  where  it 
is  used  again.  There  are  also  thirty-five  motors,  and  a  one- 
thousand  horse  power  turbine.  The  new  wheat  mill  will  be 
operated  by  electricity.  Mill  C,  also  situated  on  the  Wa- 
bash Railroad,  is  on  the  corner  of  Water  and  Cerro  Gordo 
Streets.  Feed  is  manufactured  here.  Corn  is  shipped  in 
from  Iowa,  Kansas,  Nebraska,  and  Illinois.  Only  the  white 
is  used,  as  this  contains  two  per  cent  more  nourishment  than 
yellow.  The  capacity  of  the  cars  vary  from  seven  hundred 
fifty  to  twenty-two  hundred  bushels.  The  Chicago  Board 
of  Trade  determines  the  price.  The  market  opens  at  nine- 
thirty  in  the  morning,  and  closes  at  one-fifteen  in  the  after- 
noon, the  bids  usually  being  ready  by  two  o'clock.  This 
Board  of  Trade  communicates  the  price  to  the  mills.  They 
then  telephone  to  the  elevators  from  which  they  wish  to 
buy,  stating  the  rate  they  are  willing  to  pay. 

The  corn  is  unloaded  by  a  steam  power  weigher  holding 
eight  bushels.  Next  it  is  deposited  in  hoppers,  and  then 
into  bins,  where  it  is  weighed.  After  this  it  is  carried  to  the 
top  of  the  elevator.  It  is  then  conveyed  to  the  main  mill, 
weighed  again,  and  put  into  another  bin  having  a  capacity 
of  five  hundred  bushels. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  137 

After  being  weighed,  the  corn  goes  through  a  trough 
containing  magnets,  which  remove  the  nails,  screws,  and 
other  bits  of  iron  collected  during  the  unloading.  A  pail 
of  these  a  week  is  the  average  amount  extracted.  This  hav- 
ing been  done,  the  corn  is  put  into  another  trough,  inside 
of  which  is  a  conveyor,  ninety  feet  in  length.  Boiling  hot 
water  is  then  turned  on  to  loosen  the  hulls,  after  which  it 
goes  through  a  hulling  machine,  where  the  skins  are  com- 
pletely removed.  These  are  afterwards  pressed  together, 
and  used  as  a  food  for  cattle.  Next  comes  the  extraction  of 
the  heart,  or  germ  of  the  corn,  which  is  done  by  a  large  ma- 
chine. About  one  carload  of  these  a  week  is  sent  to  Indian- 
apolis, Plant  A,  where  the  oil  is  taken  out.  Three  pounds 
of  this  to  every  bushel  is  the  average.  The  kernels  are  then 
broken  into  small  particles. 

The  corn  is  next  ground,  the  average  amount  in  tweni 
four  hours  being  ten  thousand  bushels,  although  fiftee 
thousand  has  been  the  output.  The  speed  of  the  process  ot 
grinding  is  forty  miles  per  hour.  It  is  then  sifted  through 
different  size  silk  meshes,  the  product  gradually  growing 
finer,  until  when  finished  it  is  scarcely  distinguishable  from 
wheat  flour. 

The  foods  manufactured  are  as  follows :  Corn  flour, 
called  "Over  the  Top,"  grist,  hominy,  cream  meal  and  feed. 
Two  thirds  of  the  corn  ground  is  used  for  food  purposes, 
and  one  third  for  feed. 

The  sacks  used  come  ready  made  from  the  Bemis  Com- 
pany, St.  Louis,  Missouri.  Hominy,  grist  and  feed  are 
sacked  in  burlap,  and  cream  meal  and  corn  flour  in  cotton 
sacks.  Goods  are  packed  in  amounts  weighing  from  three 
to  two  hundred  three  pounds,  and  some  for  export  in  two 
hundred  twenty  pound  quantities.  Much  of  the  sewing  is 
done  by  machinery,  although  some  is  done  by  hand. 

Hominy  feed,  for  cattle,  is  sold  all  over  Eastern  United 
States.  Coarse  and  medium  grit,  used  for  breakfast  food, 
is  furnished  the  Southern  trade  in  carloads,  and  a  large 
amount  of  hominy  is  sent  to  California  for  canning  pur- 
poses.   Very  little  exporting  is  done. 


138 


CITY    OF    DECATUR 


For  the  protection  of  the  men,  these  plants  are  equipped 
according  to  government  requirements.  The  sprinkler  sys- 
tem is  used  in  case  of  fire.  Each  floor  is  also  provided  with 
one  barrel  of  water  and  two  pails,  to  be  used  in  an  emer- 
gency. 


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CITY    OF    DECATUR  139 


CHAPTER  V 

DECATUR'S  TRANSPORTATION 
FACILITIES 

DECATUR  AS  A  RAILROAD  CENTER 

As  a  railroad  center  Decatur  ranks  second  among  all 
the  cities  of  Illinois,  Chicago,  of  course,  being  first.  Of 
the  various  factors  working  together  to  establish  this  city 
thus  high  among  the  commercial  cities  of  our  state,  the 
transportation  facilities  undoubtedly  lead.  It  is  true  that 
the  wonderful  fertility  of  the  surrounding  area  has  caused 
rapid  growth  of  many  large  cities  which  make  a  splendid 
market  for  our  manufactured  products.  In  this  territory, 
surpassing  any  in  the  world  in  the  value  of  its  producmg 
acres,  agriculture  is  carried  on  extensively.  This  meae 
that  manufacturers  of  farm  implements  will  find  a  splen 
did  market  for  their  products.  Valuable  land  tends  to 
create  a  general  prosperity  among  the  people  living  on 
it.  Prosperous  people  coming  into  the  city  to  buy  and 
sell  aid  materially  in  its  commercial  development.  Noth- 
ing, probably,  has  helped  more  in  getting  these  outside 
people  interested  than  the  business  men  who  through  their 
aggressiveness  arouse  the  people  and  make  them  aware 
of  their  city's  commercial  standing.  But  these  two  factors 
are  of  minor  importance  when  we  consider  what  the  trans- 
portation facilities  have  done  in  developing  our  city  com- 
mercially. A  glance  at  the  map  will  show  us  why  we 
should  be  so  fortunate.  Centrally  located  in  a  rich  terri- 
tory, the  city  attracts  builders  of  railroads.  Lines  crossing 
the  state  from  north  to  south  or  from  east  to  west  pass 
through  here.  Not  only  is  it  centrally  located  in  the  state, 
but  among  the  cities  of  the  entire  nation  it  stands  almost 
in  the  center.  As  a  result,  traffic  of  all  kinds  must  pass 
over  these  lines. 

In  the  early  years  of  our  history  the  obstacle  that  stood 
in  the  way  of  our  advancement  was  the  lack  of  these  facili- 
ties.    Our  produce   could  find   no  market  because  of  the 


140  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


difficulty  in  shipping  it.  Wagons  had  to  be  used  in  hauling 
grain,  and  the  cattle  and  hogs  had  to  be  driven  to  a  mar- 
ket. Because  the  markets  were  few  and  necessarily  near 
home,  the  prices  were  low.  But  with  the  coming  of  the 
first  railroads  into  Decatur,  a  change  came.  Then  the 
material  advancement  of  the  city  began,  settlement  began 
in  earnest.  Agriculture  in  the  surrounding  country  began 
to  develop  and  fBe  factories  grew  up.  During  the  twenty 
years  following  the  building  of  the  first  railroad,  the  popu- 
lation increased  about  twenty  times  what  it  did  during  the 
twenty  years  preceding.  This  increased  population  was  a 
result  of  factories  which  had  come  to  the  city  because  of 
its  easy  means  of  transportation.  At  the  present  time  there 
are  running  through  Decatur  four  great  railroad  systems 
he  Wabash  began  in  1850,  Illinois  Central  in  1854,  Van- 
a  and  C.  I.  &  W.  From  these  four  main  systems 
elve  lines  branch  which  connect  us  directly  with  all  prin- 
ipal  cities,  including  Chicago,  Peoria,  Minneapolis,  St. 
Louis,  Kansas  City,  Omaha,  Memphis,  New  Orleans, 
Evansville,  Cincinnati,  Indianapolis,  Toledo,  Pittsburg, 
New  York  and  Detroit.  These  can  be  reached  without 
change  of  cars.  This  direct  access  to  the  key  cities  of  our 
states  puts  us  in  touch  with  all  points  of  the  world,  since 
several  of  them  are  coast  cities,  important  as  ports  for  ocean 
commerce. 

Due  to  the  fact  that  so  few  raw  materials  are  available 
in  the  vicinity,  practically  all  our  manufactured  products 
are  made  of  materials  shipped  here  from  outside  points. 
Practically  every  material  used  in  industry,  arts,  or  com- 
merce finds  its  way  in  and  out  of  Decatur  over  these  twelve 
railroad  lines.  The  raw  materials  imported  in  large  quan- 
tities are,  iron  and  steel  from  Pennsylvania,  copper  and 
brass  from  Chicago,  corn,  wheat,  aluminum  and  dairy  pro- 
ducts. Marble  comes  from  New  England,  lumber,  includ- 
ing, oak,  hickory,  hemlock,  cedar,  mahogany  from  the  west ; 
leather  from  Chicago,  silks  from  the  Orient,  sugar,  mo- 
lasses, broom  corn  and  tobacco  from  the  south,  paper,  cot- 
ton goods,  woolens,  wire,  sheet  metals  from  the  east.  The 
mere  handling  of  these  articles  creates  extensive  business. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  141 

The  raw  materials  intended  for  manufacturing  must  be 
carted  to  factory  or  warehouse.  This  means  the  engage- 
ment of  motor  trucks  and  men  to  run  them.  Products 
manufactured  from  these  materials  are  shipped  to  every 
part  of  the  United  States  and  to  some  foreign  countries, 
including  South  America,  Europe,  Canada,  and  to  a  less 
extent  Asia  and  Australia.  The  factories  shipping  most 
finished  products  to  foreign  nations  are  Staley's,  Union  Iron 
Works,  Decatur  Bridge  Works,  Muellers,  Paries,  Leader 
Iron  Works.  The  foreign  trade  at  present  is  in  an  un- 
certain state.  The  settlement  of  some  important  questions 
will  decide  its  extents  later.  The  value  of  the  manufac- 
tures of  Decatur  is  about  $25,000,000,  probably  more.  The 
greatest  part  of  this  is  sent  out  to  other  cities  and  coun- 
tries. The  freight  trains  bringing  in  raw  stuflfs  and  taking 
out  finished  products  number  about  ninety-four  daily.  The 
freight  charges  collected  here  for  1919  amount  to  about 
$2,810,000. 

The  railroad  lines  however  are  not  used  for  shipping 
in  of  raw  materials  only  and  sending  out  Decatur  products, 
but  for  passenger  service  as  well.  Decatur's  business  men 
have  interested  many  people  of  surrounding  country  in 
their  city.  As  a  result  we  have  many  people  coming  in 
daily  to  do  business  here.  Being  so  centrally  located,  it 
is  also  a  place  where  traveling  people  make  changes.  The 
Illinois  Central  office  sells  on  the  average  six  hundred 
tickets  per  day.  It  is  estimated  one  thousand  two  hundred 
to  fifteen  hundred  passengers  pass  through  Decatur  daily. 
Passenger  trains  in  and  out  daily  number  about  forty- 
seven.  About  three  thousand  people  are  employed  in  rail- 
road work  in  Decatur,  the  pay-roll  amounting  to  about 
$10,000,000  in  1919. 

The  exceptionally  good  facilities  are  rapidly  making  of 
Decatur  an  industrial  center.  It  is  true  that  we  have  few 
raw  materials  near  at  hand — grain,  clay,  and  gravel  being 
the  only  ones — but  our  railroads  make  it  possible  to  have 
things  brought  in  for  our  factories.  Since  we  are  located 
in    such    wonderfully    productive    area    where    prosperity 


142  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

reigns,  our  market  is  good.  Fuel  is  cheap  and  our  labor 
conditions  unusually  favorable.  This  attracts  working 
classes,  energetic,  progressive  people  to  work  in  the  plants. 
And  wha^  has  the  future  in  store  for  us?  Our  indus- 
trial supremacy  will  attract  more  factories,  which  in  turn 
will  call  for  more  laborers  and  added  railroads  to  take  care 
of  the  products.  In  time  paved  highways  will  be  built  for 
the  use  of  motor  transports.  The  roads  at  the  present  time 
are  not  hard  enough  to  bear  the  heavy  hauling.  This 
method  of  transportation  will  be  used  to  carry  things  be- 
tween points  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  miles  apart,  since 
it  is  much  cheaper.  With  continued  growth  the  plan  of 
a  water  route  direct  to  the  south  will  also  be  projected. 
This  would  be  possible  by  dredging  the  Sangamon  and  con- 
necting it  with  Illinois  by  means  of  a  canal.  Ships  could 
then  leave  here,  pass  through  the  canal  into  the  Illinois, 
then  down  to  New  Orleans  on  the  Mississippi.  This  would 
put  us  into  better  touch  with  South  America,  one  of  our 
chief  foreign  markets.  The  lessening  of  the  freight  charges 
accomplished  by  this  plan  can  hardly  be  estimated. 


THE  ILLINOIS  TRACTION  SYSTEM 

The  Illinois  Traction  System  has  grown  in  the  past 
eighteen  years  from  six  miles  of  track  lying  between  Dan- 
ville and  Westville,  built  as  an  experiment  by  W.  B.  Mc- 
Kinley,  to  its  present  size  of  550  miles.  The  road  is  now 
equipped  with  all  modern  equipment  for  the  safety,  con- 
venience and  comfort  of  its  patrons.  Its  road-bed  com- 
pares favorably  with  that  of  steam  roads  and  are  so  de- 
signed that  the  heaviest  freight  and  passenger  service  may 
be  handled  economically. 

The  main  division  of  the  Illinois  Traction  System  ex- 
tends from  Peoria  on  the  north  to  St.  Louis  on  the  south, 
a  distance  of  174  miles.  At  Mackinaw  Junction,  about 
twenty  miles  south  of  Peoria,  the  Bloomington  and  De- 
catur Division  branches  off  from  the  main  division  and 
extends  as  far  east  as  Danville,  a  distance  of  about  125 
miles,  serving  Decatur,  Champaign  and  Urbana,  and  many 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  143 

intermediate  points.  There  are  three  lines  which  enter 
from  the  east,  west  and  north,  thereby  giving  Decatur 
access  to  the  central  and  southern  part  of  our  state  whose 
population  is  estimated  to  be  about  3,000,000  people. 

The  T.  T.  S.  furnishes  Decatur  with  street  car  service, 
gas,  electricity,  and  steam  heat,  as  well  as  the  conveniences 
it  furnishes  in  its  own  service,  such  as  parlor  and  sleeping 
cars,  fast  merchants'  dispatch  freight  service,  general 
freight  trains  that  transport  heavy  loads  of  coal  and  grain. 

The  frequency  of  its  service  and  access  to  the  rural 
district  being  of  prime  importance,  the  Decatur  freight 
office  averages  handling  12,000  tons  of  freight  per  month. 

It  gives  the  housewives  the  same  opportunity  for  sav- 
ing money  and  becoming  posted  on  the  season's  fashions 
as  her  city  sister  and  this  feature  has  had  the  effect  on 
the  people  who  live  in  the  country  making  as  good  an 
appearance  and  whose  clothing  is  as  up-to-date  as  a  city 
woman. 

The  children  of  the  farmer  can  receive  the  advantages 
of  the  city  and  still  remain  at  home,  thereby  working  as  a 
factor  in  keeping  our  boys  on  the  farm. 

Visit  our  churches,  theatres  or  good  concerts  or  lec- 
tures, and  we  will  find  a  good  sprinkling  of  our  farmer 
folk,  who  instead  of  going  to  bed  with  the  chickens,  may 
riow  come  to  the  city  for  an  evening's  entertainment  and 
be  back  home  at  a  reasonable  bedtime. 

The  advantages  are  not  all  for  the  farmer,  however. 
It  brings  the  produce  fresh  from  the  farm  every  day  and 
they  do  not  grow  stale  in  the  transit  before  reaching  the 
consumers.  This  means  of  transportation  has  bound  the 
city  and  country  in  a  union  both  pleasant  and  profitable 
to  both.  There  are  milk  and  produce  trains  in  operation 
every  day. 

These  are  a  few  items  to  describe  the  benefits  which 
have  come  to  Decatur  by  the  use  of  the  Illinois  Traction 
System. 

With  the  growth  of  the  Illinois  Traction  System  De- 
catur has   almost   doubled   in    population.     A   great   many 


144 


CITY    OF    DECATUR 


factories  have  been  built.  The  mercantile  business  has 
increased  many  times.  Frequency  of  service  and  access 
to  the  adjacent  country  are  the  most  important  advan- 
tages of  service  afforded  this  section  by  the  Illinois  Trac- 
tion System. 

The  Illinois  Traction  System  is  a  great  help  to  Deca- 
tur and  to  the  farmers  that  live  around  the  city  outside 
of  a  10-mile  radius  by  enabling  them  to  bring  their  pro- 
duce to  town. 


ILLINOIS 

5y5TEf>rt 


,  CITY    OF    DECATUR  145 

Number  of  miles  operated  by  the  I.  T.  S 431.90 

Miles  of  passing  tracks,  sideways,  etc 32.54 

Miles  of  industrial  track 13.52 

Miles  of  shop  and  yard  track 13.15 

Popluation  served  by  the  road 3,000,000 

Number  of  passenger  cars 150 

Number  of  freight  cars 722 

Number  of  express  cars 177 

Number  electric  locomotives   21 

Number  of  sub-stations  40 

Number  central  power  stations 4 

Number  of  belt  lines 4 

Number  of  miles  protected  by  electric  block  signals  150 


STREET  CARS  OF  DECATUR 

Street  cars  were  first  used  in  Decatur  on  August  27, 
1889. 

The  first  car  line  was  owned  by  Frank  Priest  and  ran 
from  where  the  transfer  house  now  stands  to  the  depot. 

There  are  now  twenty-three  cars  on  regular  schedule, 
which  are  as  follows :  Eldorado,  four  cars,  which  run  every 
seven  minutes ;  Condit,  three  cars,  running  every  twelve 
minutes ;  Water  Street,  three  cars,  running  every  eight 
minutes ;  Edward,  four  cars,  running  every  seven  minutes ; 
West  Main,  three  cars,  running  every  eight  minutes ;  De- 
pot, two  cars,  running  every  seven  minutes;  Pythian  Home, 
one,  running  every  fifteen  minutes ;  Fairview,  one  car, 
tunning  every  fifteen  minutes ;  and  Riverside,  two  cars, 
running  every  fifteen  minutes. 

The  cars  begin  running  at  5 :30  in  the  morning,  and 
continue  until  11:30  at  night. 

Each  car  bears  a  large  letter  on  the  front  of  it,  which 
makes  it  very  convenient  for  the  passengers.  For  instance, 
the  Depot  Street  Car  bears  a  large  "D"  on  the  front  of  it. 

There  are  fourteen  miles  of  street  car  track,  but  sixteen 
miles,  if  the  switches  are  included. 


146 


CITY    OF   DECATUR 


New  cars  are  now  used  on  the  Eldorado  and  Edward 
routes. 

They  are  known  as  the  "Safety"  Car,  and  are  provided 
with  two  trolleys. 

The  entrance  and  exits  are  at  the  front  of  these  cars, 
only:  This  means:  that  should  it  ever  be  necessary,  one 
man  only  could  operate  one  of  these  cars  alone.  It  is 
often  necessary  to  use  extra  cars  on  the  Eldorado  line, 
which  proves  that  the  northeastern  part  of  the  city  is 
growing  very  rapidly.  Motormen  and  conductors  work 
nine  hours  a  day  at  the  rate  of  forty-two  cents  per  hour. 

The  transfer  house  is  located  in  the  central  part  of 
the  city  at  the  intersection  of  North  Main  and  West  Main 
Streets.  All  street  cars  but  the  Fairview,  transfer  at  this 
station.  It  is  much  better  to  wait  for  a  car  at  the  transfer 
house  than  at  a  street  corner. 

The  street  car  fare  is  but  five  cents,  including  a  trans- 
fer.    In  most  other  cities  it  is  seven  cents  or  more. 

The  citizens  appreciate  the  fact  tfiat  the  fare  has  not 
been  raised  in  Decatur. 


kILLIArj    COOt\a&   '20 


THE-LfriA    SCOTT 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  147 

CHAPTER  VI 

PUBLIC  BUILDINGS 

THE  MACON  COUNTY  COURT  HOUSE 

Wayne  Parrish,  7  A,  Lincoln  School. 

The  Macon  County  Court  House  of  Decatur,  Illinois,  is 
situated  on  the  southeast  corner  of  East  Wood  and  South 
Water  Streets.  It  is  divided  into  twenty-one  offices  and 
two  courts — the  County  Court  and  the  Circuit  Court. 

The  County  Court  tries  cases  of  common  law  where  the 
amounts  do  not  exceed  one  thousand  dollars.  They  try 
cases  known  as  criminal  cases  which  are  divided  into  two 
classes,  the  first,  felony,  in  which  the  punishment  is  im- 
prisonment in  the  penitentiary;  the  second,  misdemeanors, 
in  which  the  punishment  is  by  fine  or  by  imprisonment  in 
the  county  jail.  This  court  also  tries  insane  and  tax  cases. 
This  court  has  three  terms  of  court  a  year,  the  first  begin- 
ning on  the  second  Monday  of  April,  the  second  on  the 
second  of  August  and  the  third  on  the  second  Monday  of 
December.  The  judge  is  elected  to  his  position  by  the  peo- 
ple. There  is  a  Probate  Court  which  is  a  division  of  the 
County  Court.  This  court  tries  juvenile  cases.  It  may 
sentence  a  boy  up  to  the  age  of  seventeen  to  St.  Charles, 
and  a  girl  up  to  the  age  of  eighteen  to  Geneva.  It  takes 
care  of  children  whose  parents  neglect  them.  This  court 
has  twelve  terms  of  court,  therefore  it  is  in  session  all  the 
time.  The  first  term  begins  on  the  first  Monday  of  January 
and  is  in  session  until  the  first  Monday  of  February,  and  so 
on  for  the  rest  of  the  year. 

The  Circuit  Court  has  the  most  power  and  is  therefore 
the  highest  court  in  the  county.  This  court  may  try  any 
kind  of  case.  The  Circuit  Judge  has  power  in  six  counties, 
Macon,  De  Witt,  Douglas,  Moultrie,  Piatt  and  Champaign. 
The  judge  for  Macon  County  is  Judge  W.  K.  Whitfield; 
tor  Champaign  County,  Judge  Franklin  H.  Boggs,  and 
Judge  G.  A.  Lentle  for  De  Witt  County.     This  court  has 


148  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

three  terms  of  court,  the  first  in  Macon  County  beginning 
on  the  second  Monday  of  January,  the  second  on  the  second 
Monday  of  May,  and  the  third  on  the  first  Monday  of 
October. 

The  Circuit  Clerk's  office  keeps  the  record  of  real  estate 
transactions.  It  is  where  foreigners  get  their  naturalization 
papers.  Suits  are  filed  here  so  as  to  be  heard  before  the 
Circuit  Judge.  One  person  holds  the  position  of  Circuit 
Clerk  and  Recorder. 

In  the  County  Clerk's  office  marriage  and  hunting 
licenses  are  issued,  and  here  is  kept  the  record  of  all  births 
and  deaths. 

The  Abstract  Office  is  where  the  history  of  a  title  of 
land,  beginning  with  the  title  in  the  United  States  of  Amer- 
ica, is  written  and  kept.  Abstracts  are  ordered  when  any 
real  estate  changes  hands.  The  abstractor  writes  down  the 
record  of  the  title  and  it  is  passed  on  by  a  lawyer  usually. 

The  City  Clerk  has  his  office  in  the  Court  House. 

The  City  Council,  the  Mayor  and  the  Commissioners 
meet  and  have  their  office  in  the  Court  House,  too.  The 
Council  meets  every  Monday  and  Thursday  of  each  week. 

The  Building  Inspector  issues  permits  for  new  buildings 
to  comply  with  the  city  building  ordinance.  He  sees  that 
they  put  no  shingles  on  houses  and  buildings  in  the  fire 
district.  He  may  condemn  buildings  if  they  are  not  safe 
and  sanitary. 

The  Police  Office  or  Police  Headquarters  is  also  in  the 
Court  House. 

The  Sheriff's  office  is  also  here.  The  Sheriflf  has  power 
to  arrest  a  man  violating :  state  laws  on  a  state  warrant. 
He  has  charge  of  the  prisoners,  sends  boys  to  St.  Charles, 
girls  to  Geneva,  and  others  to  the  penitentiary.  He  has 
power  in  many  parts  of  the  state.  He  enforces  state  laws 
and  is  elected  by  the  people. 

The  Overseer  of  the  Poor  has  an  office  in  the  Court 
House.  His  duty  is  to  look  after  the  poor.  He  sends  them 
to  the  county  home  and  sends  those  who  are  sick  to  the 
hospital.  He  supplies  coal  to  those  who  need  it  and  see 
that  the  poor  have  plenty  to  eat. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  149 


In  the  Tax  Collector's  office  the  taxes  are  levied  for  the 
city,  the  township,  the  county  and  the  state.  The  money  is 
divided  and  used  for  improvements  in  different  ways. 

The  State's  Attorney  prosecutes  all  men  and  women  and 
boys  who  violate  laws.  He  helps  the  children  whose  par- 
ents neglect  them. 

The  Superintendent  of  County  Schools  has  his  office  in 
the  Court  House  also.  He  has  charge  of  the  schools  out- 
side of  the  city  limits  and  inside  the  county. 

The  Board  of  Supervisors  meets  in  the  Court  House. 
There  are  now  thirty  members  from  different  parts  of  the 
county. 

The  Parole  Officer,  at  present  Elsie  Waggonseller,  has 
an  office  with  the  Overseer  of  the  Poor.  She  is  elected  by 
the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

The  County  Surveyor  has  his  office  in  the  Court  House. 

The  Board  of  Farm  Advisers  has  its  headquarters  in 
the  Court  House. 


DECATUR  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

The  Decatur  Public  Library  is  located  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  Main  and  Eldorado  Streets. 

It  is  a  large  rectangular  concrete  building. 

The  building  was  begun  March  27,  1902,  and  was  ready 
for  use  July  1,  1903.  Andrew  Carnegie  gave  $60,000  for 
the  building.    The  city  gave  $15,000  for  the  site. 

As  you  enter  you  find  yourself  in  the  vestibule  from 
which  you  go  through  another  door  into  the  main  room. 
On  the  south  of  this  room  are  the  reference  or  study  rooms. 
There  are  about  2,000  volumes  in  this  department.  Behind 
these  rooms  are  the  two  smaller  rooms  which  are  used  for 
meetings  of  various  kinds. 

North  of  the  main  room  is  the  reading  room  which  has 
about  250  magazines,  books  and  papers. 

Back  of  the  main  desk  are  the  stacks  which  contain  be- 
tween 20,000  and  25,000  books  for  circulation.  At  the  right 
and  east  of  the  reading  room  are  the  offices  of  the  librarian. 
Below  the  stacks  is  the  magazine  room,  where  are  found 
about  4,500  bound  periodicals. 


ISO  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


The  children's  department  occupies  the  large  room  on 
the  north  of  the  second  floor.  There  are  between  5,000  and 
6,000  books  in  this  room.  Just  across  the  hall  is  the  cata- 
loging room  where  the  cards  and  books  are  prepared  for 
publication. 

At  the  end  of  the  hall  is  another  room  where  the  direc- 
tors hold  their  meetings. 

Public  documents  are  in  two  rooms  of  basement.  The 
furnace  and  work  rooms  are  also  in  this  part  of  the  build- 
ing.     The  library  employs  twelve  people. 


DECATUR  POST  OFFICE 

The  Post  Office  is  located  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
North  Main  and  Eldorado  streets. 

It  is  a  large  square  concrete  structure  consisting  of  two 
stories  and  basement.  It  was  built  in  the  year  1909  and  the 
money  was  furnished  by  the  Federal  Government. 

The  main  entrance  to  the  building  is  on  North  Main 
Street. 

The  departments  on  the  main  floor  are :  Mail,  Parcel 
Post,  Money  Order  and  War  Savings,  Lock  Boxes  and 
General  Delivery.  Besides  these  departments  the  Post- 
master and  Assistant  Postmaster  have  their  offices  on  this 
floor.  On  the  second  floor  are  other  rooms  occupied  at  va- 
rious times  by  federal  officers. 

The  Mail  Department  consists  of  two  divisions,  which 
are  Mailing  and  City  Distribution.  Fifty-four  pouches  are 
received  by  this  department  daily  for  distribution  to  the 
city  and  rural  districts.  The  letters  are  placed  on  a  large 
table  for  sorting.  The  special  delivery  letters  are  sep- 
arated from  the  others  for  immediate  delivery.  Each  car- 
rier has  a  pigeon  hole  in  which  the  letters  for  his  route  are 
placed.  Twenty-nine  city  carriers  and  nine  rural  carriers 
are  employed  in  distributing  the  letters  and  packages. 

The  Parcel  Post  department  is  growing  more  important 
each  year.  The  amount  of  business  during  the  past  year 
exceeded  all  previous  years. 

At  the  present  time  twenty-seven  clerks  are  employed 
to  carry  on  the  work  of  the  various  departments. 


PEKN  TMEin   8B'£0 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  151 


CHAPTER  VII 
CHURCHES  AND  CIVIC  ORGANIZATIONS 

CHURCHES 

There  are  forty  churches  in  Decatur,  ranging  in  mem- 
bership from  twelve  to  two  thousand.  The  churches  are 
as  follows : 

Baptist 

First,  southeast  corner  Water  and  North. 

East  Park,  northwest  corner  Third  and  Prairie. 

Riverside,  corner  Traver  and  Cleveland. 

Antioch   (colored),  610  Greenwood  Ave. 

Catholic 
St.  James  (German),  corner  Webster  and  Clay. 
St.  Patrick's,  425  East  Eldorado  St. 

Christian 

First,  441  North  Church  St. 

Central  Church  of  Christ,  southeast  corner  William  and 
Edward  Sts. 

Church  of  God 

Bethel,  southwest  corner  Main  and  Packard  Sts. 
Church  of  God,  412  South  Broadway. 

Church  of  the  Brethren 

First,  404  East  Grand  Ave. 

Progressive,  804  East  Orchard  St. 

Church  of  the  Living  God  (colored),  325  East  Macon  St. 

Congregational 

First,  northwest  corner  Church  and  Eldorado  Sts. 

Episcopal 

St.  John's,  northeast  corner  Church  and  Eldorado  Sts. 

Evangelical 

First  German,  1020  North  Woodford  St. 


152  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


Jewish 

Congregation  of  Abraham,  over  254  North  Park. 

Evangelical  Lutheran 
First  English,  303  North  Main. 
St.  Paul's  German,  376  West  Wood  St. 
St.  Johannes'  German,  1104  East  Orchard  St. 

Methodist  Episcopal 
First  M.  E.,  southwest  corner  Church  and  North. 
Grace,  northwest  corner  Main  and  King  Sts. 
St.  Paul's,  1600  East  North  St. 
Trinity,  southwest  corner  North  and  Jackson  Sts. 
Sargent,  954  South  Broadway. 

St.  Peter's  A.  M.  E.  (colored),  530  Greenwood  Ave. 
Methodist  Episcopal  Mission,  corner  Marietta  and  Cal- 
houn Sts. 

Free  Methodist 
224  East  King;  Branch,  2338  East  Sangamon  St. 

Presbyterian 

I'^irst,  northwest  corner  Church  and  Prairie. 
Second,  northeast  corner  Eldorado  and  Monroe. 
Westminster,  West  Main,  northeast  corner  Park  PI. 

United  Brethren 
First,  southeast  corner  Eldorado  and  Union  Sts. 
Second,  northwest  corner  Walnut  Grove  and  Olive. 
Third,  southwest  corner  Division  and  Lowber  Sts. 


THE  ASSOCIATION  OF  COMMERCE 

The  Association  of  Commerce  consists  of  about  nine 
hundred  members.  It  is  governed  by  a  body  of  fifteen 
people  elected  by  the  members.  This  association  was  or- 
ganized about  twenty  years  ago.  The  only  paid  member 
of  this  association  is  the  secretary.  It  was  first  called  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  and  later  changed  to  the  Associa- 
tion of  Commerce. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  153 


The  interests  of  this  association  are  not  only  industrial 
but  cover  every  phase  of  life  that  afifects  the  welfare  of 
the  people  of  Decatur. 

This  association  has  brought  many  factories  to  the 
city.  It  has  given  us  better  train  service  and  freight  rates. 
The  Macon  County  Hospital  was  brought  here  by  its  in- 
fluence. They  have  been  a  big  help  in  making  Decatur 
the  Biggest  Little  City  on  Earth. 

The  Social  Service  Bureau  was  organized  in  the  year 
1917.  It  is  governed  by  a  board  of  fifteen  people.  They 
make  large  drives  to  get  the  money  needed  to  carry  on 
the  work. 

The  purpose  of  the  Social  Service  Bureau  is  to  help 
the  poor  people  who  cannot  earn  a  living  by  themselves. 

There  are  five  diflferent  institutions  helped  by  the  So- 
cial Service  Bureau :  General,  Welfare  Home,  Free  Clinic, 
Salvation  Army,  and  the  Day  Nursery. 

The  General  fund  is  to  help  the  poor  buy  coal,  groceries, 
pay  rent  and  other  things  needed. 

The  Woman's  Club  was  organized  in  1887.  Its  mem- 
bership now  is  250.  It  is  governed  by  officers  elected  by 
the  members. 

The  purpose  of  this  club  is  to  help  the  women  of  De- 
catur bring  themselves  up  to  a  higher  class  in  life. 

The  club  is  divided  into  four  different  study  divisions. 
They  are  the  Civic,  Art  and  Literature,  Shakespeare,  and 
Psalemas. 

The  Art  and  Literature  division  studies  those  subjects. 

The  Psalemas  division  consists  mostly  of  business  wo- 
men who  can  not  study  in  the  day  time.  They  study  dif- 
ferent things  that  will  help  them  in  their  business  career. 

The  Shakespeare  division  studies  about  our  great  poet. 
The  people  recite  poems  and  read  about  Bible  women. 


154  CITY    OF   DECATUR 

The  Civic  division  studies  about  the  welfare  of  the  city. 
They  try  to  find  the  things  that  will  help  to  make  our  city 
a  better  one. 

The  Rotary  Club  has  about  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  members.  There  is  one  man  from  every  line  of  bus- 
iness. The  purpose  is  to  promote  better  acquaintance  and 
fellowship  among  the  men  of  Decatur. 

The  St.  John's  Day  Nursery  cares  for  small  children 
whose  mothers  must  work  by  the  day.  A  fee  of  five  cents 
is  charged. 

The  purpose  of  the  Boy  Scout  Association  is  best  told 
in  its  laws :  A  scout  is  trustworthy,  loyal,  helpful,  friendly, 
courteous,  kind,  obedient,  cheerful,  thrifty,  brave,  clean, 
and  reverent. 

Other  civic  organizations  are  as  follows :  City  Club, 
American  Red  Cross  Society,  Macon  County  Home  Bu- 
reau, Municipal  Art  League,  Decatur  Institution  Civic 
Arts,  and  Visiting  Nurses'  Association. 


Y.  M.  C.  A. 

The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  is  a  Christian  organization  for  men 
and  boys.  It  was  organized  by  Sir  George  Williams  in 
London,  England,  in  1770;  in  United  States  in  1844;  and  in 
Decatur  in  1907. 

The  Y.  M,  C.  A.  was  named  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  by  C.  W.  Smith.  It  had  only  twelve  original 
members  and  Edward  Rogers  was  one  of  them. 

Any  boy  who  wishes  may  join  by  paying  the  required 
fee,  which  ranges  from  $2.50  for  boys  of  nine  years  of  age, 
to  $10  for  boys  twenty-one  years  of  age.  These  fees  help 
support  the  organization. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  155 


Each  year  a  drive  is  put  on  to  cover  other  expenses. 

Members  of  the  association  are  allowed  to  take  part 
-n  certain  activities  suited  to  their  ages  and  ability. 

The  emblem  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  is  the  red  triangle  with 
the  horizontal  bar  bearing  the  letters  Y.  M.  C.  A.  The 
sides  of  this  triangle  stand  for  strong  minds,  strong  bodies, 
and  religious  development. 

The  Educational  classes  are  conducted  afternoons  and 
evenings.  Such  subjects  as  music,  shorthand,  mechanical 
drawing,  business  English,  French  and  Spanish  are  taught. 
Any  subject  asked  for  can  be  taken,  provided  there  are 
enough  persons  to  make  up  a  class. 

The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  is  a  meeting  place  for  many  outside 
organizations.  It  has  many  Christian  meetings  of  its  own 
such  as :  classes,  lectures,  and  entertainments.  It  has  a 
library,  reading  room,  gymnasium,  billiard  tables,  and  mov- 
ing pictures  once  or  more  each  week. 

The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  allows  travelers  to  rest  and  read,  even 
if  they  are  not  members  of  the  organization.  There  are 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  lunch  rooms  at  railway  stations  and  in  their 
own  buildings.  The  money  taken  in  at  these  cafeterias 
helps  to  support  the  work. 

In  Decatur  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  has  outgrown  its  building. 
When  it  was  organized  it  had  only  a  small  membership, 
but  now  it  is  so  large  that  we  are  in  need  of  a  new  build- 
ing large  enough  to  accommodate  all  the  present  members 
and  the  new  ones  who  will  join  within  the  next  few  years. 
We  hope  to  see  a  large,  commodious  building  for  Decatur 
in  process  of  construction  soon. 


Y.  W.  C.  A. 

The  Y.  W.  C.  A.  is  the  Young  Women's  Christian 
Association.  It  is  the  largest  Christian  organization  for 
women  and  girls  in  the  world.  About  sixty-four  years  ago, 
just  after  the  Crimean  War,  in  the  little  town  of  Barnet, 


1S6  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

England,  Miss  Emily  Roberts  asked  several  of  her  friends 
to  band  themselves  together  to  pray  for  young  women. 
Three  years  later  a  Ladies'  Christian  Association  was  or- 
ganized in  New  York  City,  and  in  1866  followed  the  Young 
Woman's  Christian  Association  of  Boston,  the  first  to  bear 
the  name  as  it  now  stands.  From  these  beginnings  the 
work  developed  leaders  all  through  the  country. 

Any  girl,  who  wishes  to  do  so,  may  join  the  association 
by  paying  a  dollar  a  year  if  she  is  over  sixteen.  Girls 
under  sixteen  pay  only  fifty  cents.  The  workers  of  the 
Y.  W.  C.  A.  have  a  money  campaign  nearly  every  year 
and  the  money  that  is  collected  and  membership  fees  are 
used  to  help  support  it. 

The  cafeteria  supports  itself. 

The  Y.  W.  C.  A.  does  many  kinds  of  work  in  Decatur. 
It  decides  upon  its  activities  according  to  the  community 
needs. 

The  emblem  of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  which  is  recognized 
all  over  the  world  stands  for  service.  It  is  the  blue  tri- 
angle and  horizontal  bar  bearing  the  letters  Y.  W.  C.  A. 
The  upper  left  point  of  the  triangle  represents  "others," 
the  upper  right  point  represents  "self"  or  in  other  words 
a  real  Y.  W.  C.  A.  girl  has  a  two-fold  responsibility — 
"self"  to  "others"  and  "self"  to  "God." 

The  Y.  W.  C.  A.  has  many  educational  classes  and  we 
hope  in  the  very  near  future  to  have  a  boarding  home 
where  girls  away  from  home  may  live. 

In  Decatur  we  have  the  religious  work  department, 
girls'  work  department,  emphasizing  Girl  Reserve  Work. 
The  physical  department  is  where  girls  get  health,  grace, 
poise,  and  beauty.  In  this  department  swimming  is  taught. 
We  have  an  Industrial  Extension  department. 

The  first  thing  emphasized  is  the  boarding  home;  first, 
to  develop  physically;  second,  mentally;  third,  socially; 
fourth,  spiritually. 


CITY    OF   DECATUR  157 

The  Y.  W.  C.  A.  is  much  used  as  a  community  center. 
Many  outside  organizations  meet  here  for  work  or  recrea- 
tion. It  has  many  parties  for  its  members  and  friends. 
And,  too,  sometimes  lectures  and  demonstrations  are  given 
there.  The  Y.  W.  C.  A.  has  a  very  nice  rest  room  and 
a  reading  table,  and  it  has  many  good  books. 


d ARNOLD  FimLY  8B 
"20 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  159 


CHAPTER  VIII 

DEPARTMENT  STORES 

LINN  AND  SCRUGGS  CO. 

The  Linn  and  Scruggs'  store  was  established  by  W.  H. 
Linn  and  W.  R.  Scruggs  in  October,  1869,  just  fifty  years 
ago. 

The  growth  of  the  store  has  been  remarkable.  It  had 
its  beginning  in  an  old-fashioned  three-story  building  on 
Merchant  Street.  Here  merchandise  only  was  sold,  which 
was  a  new  idea,  as  people  were  used  to  the  old-time  general 
store.  From  this  small  store  has  developed  the  Linn  and 
Scruggs  of  which  the  people  of  Decatur  are  justly  proud. 
l"he  store  today  is  under  the  management  of  Mr.  T.  J. 
Prentice  and  Mr.  J.  R.  Holt. 

The  building  is  a  beautiful,  seven-story  structure,  lo- 
cated at  the  corner  of  South  Water  and  East  Main  Street, 
and  covering  half  a  city  block.  It  is  thoroughly  modern  and 
fireproof.    It  has  a  floor  space  of  67,147  square  feet. 

Linn  and  Scruggs  employ  almost  two  hundred  persons 
during  an  ordinary  season  and  an  extra  force  of  fifty  are 
added  for  the  holidays.  There  seems  always  to  be  an  ideal 
"atmosphere"  in  the  store :  the  clerks  are  neatly  dressed, 
very  willing  to  display  their  merchandise,  and  at  all  times 
decidedly  courteous  to  customers. 

The  store  is  divided  into  forty-two  departments.  The 
most  important  departments  on  the  first  floor  are  dry  goods, 
gloves,  hosiery,  perfumery  and  toilet  goods,  and  notions. 
The  second  floor  is  devoted  to  millinery,  shoes,  waists,  silk 
and  cotton  underwear,  furs,  suits  and  coats,  besides  a  beauty 
parlor  and  a  very  comfortable  waiting  room. 

The  third  floor  holds  the  house  furnishings,  such  as 
rugs,  draperies,  curtains,  linoleums,  wall  paper,  etc.,  and  in 
the  basement  may  be  found  the  china,  cut  glass,  cutlery 
and  toys. 

The  music  department  occupies  a  separate  building. 


160  CITY    OF   DECATUR 


It  is  interesting  to  know  from  what  places  these  well- 
furnished  departments  are  supplied.  Some  of  the  facts  are 
as  follows:  "If  one  were  shopping  on  the  first  floor,  she 
could  buy  dress  goods  from  England,  France,  Switzerland 
and  Japan,  as  well  as  domestic  goods.  The  trimmings  such 
as  laces  come  from  Switzerland,  England,  France  and  the 
Philippines ;  the  embroideries  from  St.  Gaul,  Switzerland ; 
also  silk  embroideries,  vesting,  banding,  etc.,  come  from 
Japan  and  China,  and  the  bead  trimmings  from  Holland. 
The  housekeeping  linens  are  domestic  and  foreign,  the  lat- 
ter are  bot  in  New  York  from  agents  representing  manu- 
iacturers  in  Ireland  and  Scotland.  Madeira  embroidered 
linens  come  from  the  Madeira  Islands.  Kid  gloves  are 
made  in  France  and  England  as  well  as  New  York  city, 
Gloversville,  New  York,  and  North  Tonawanda,  New  York, 
The  knit  underwear  comes  from  Minneapolis,  Grand  Rap- 
ids, Michigan,  and  New  York  city;  the  best  foreign  knit 
underwear  is  made  in  Switzerland.  The  toilet  goods  and 
druggists'  sundries  come  from  New  York  city  and  Chicago, 
as  well  as  from  France  and  England. 

If  one  were  shopping  on  the  second  floor  at  the  Linn 
and  Scruggs  store  she  could  buy  shoes  made  by  the  best 
manufacturers  in  the  world :  The  Hannan  &  Son  shoe,  made 
at  Brooklyn,  New  York;  the  Lownsbury  &  Mathewson, 
made  at  South  Norwalk,  Connecticut;  the  Charles  K.  Fox 
shoe,  made  at  Haverhill,  Massachusetts,  and  the  Williams 
Hoyt  shoe,  made  in  Chicago,  Illinois,  and  many  other  makes 
of  quality.  New  York  furnishes  the  greater  number  of 
suits,  coats,  dresses,  and  furs,  which  may  be  bought  on  this 
same  floor,  while  Cleveland,  Chicago,  Philadelphia  and  St.  . 
Louis  add  their  best  to  this  department.  The  hats,  which 
are  not  hand-made,  have  come  from  New  York,  Chicago 
and  Paris. 

If  one  were  shopping  on  the  third  floor  of  the  Linn 
and  Scruggs  store,  she  could  buy  wonderful  Oriental  rugs 
which  have  been  made  in  Turkey,  Russia,  Persia  and  India ; 
the  curtains  and  draperies  in  the  finest  grade  have  all  come 
from  Switzerland;  the  best  linoleums  from  England  and 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  161 

Scotland  and  wall  paper  from  New  York  and  England,  be- 
sides many  other  domestic-made  house  furnishings. 

The  basement  of  the  Linn  and  Scruggs  store  holds  sev- 
eral very  well-furnished  departments.  The  more  impor- 
tant ones  are :  the  cut  glass,  which  comes  from  New  York 
and  Toledo,  Ohio ;  the  china,  which  is  made  in  several  Ohio 
cities  and  also  in  Syracuse,  New  York,  and  in  England ;  the 
aluminum  ware  made  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  Pennsylvania, 
and  the  toys  which,  since  the  war,  are  principally  domestic 
made,  except  a  few  from  Japan. 

Now  we  should  like  you  to  know  who,  besides  the  resi- 
dents of  Decatur,  reap  the  benefits  of  this  up-to-date  store 
of  quality.  Linn  and  Scruggs  have  a  mail  order  depart- 
ment and  send  merchandise  to  all  towns  within  a  fifty- 
mile  radius,  also  to  Wyoming,  to  Montana,  to  Porto  Rico, 
and  to  China.  Just  recently  a  shipment  of  china  was  sent 
to  Corea  and  to  Penang,  Malay  Archipelago.  They  do  an 
unusually  big  business  with  Springfield,  Illinois ;  many  per- 
sons from  that  city  are  regular  customers  and  come  here  to 
trade  in  preference  to  buying  from  their  home  stores  or 
those  of  surrounding  cities. 

The  new  music  store  of  the  Linn  and  Scruggs  Com- 
pany has  been  established  on  account  of  the  unusual  growth 
of  that  department.  Originally  the  music  department  occu- 
pied a  small  space  on  the  third  floor  of  the  main  store,  now 
it  occupies  the  entire  three-story  building  at  129  North 
Water  Street ;  originally  there  were  two  persons  employed 
in  the  department,  now  there  are  fourteen.  The  original 
stock  consisted  of  three  pianos ;  the  stock  at  the  present 
lime  consists  of  sixty-five  pianos  and  piano-players,  besides 
many  Victrolas,  8,000  Victrola  records,  1,500  player  rolls, 
cabinets,  benches,  etc.  The  music  store  uses  seven  service 
automobile  trucks.  This  fact  gives  one  an  idea  of  the 
unusual  amount  of  business  which  is  done. 

Linn  and  Scruggs  do  a  million  dollars'  worth  of  busi- 
ness in  a  year.  This  seems  an  unusually  large  amount  for 
a  city  of  Decatur's  size,  but  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  when 
one  realizes  that  this  is  Decatur's  store  of  quality. 


162  CITY   OF   DECATUR 

THE  WM.  GUSHARD  DRY  GOODS  COMPANY 

One  of  Decatur's  most  prominent  department  stores  is 
the  William  Gushard  Dry  Goods  Company,  founded  by 
William  Gushard  in  the  year  1895.  The  store  located  at 
735  North  Water  Street  was  moved  to  207  North  Water 
a  year  later,  and  in  1906  it  was  moved  to  its  present  loca- 
tion at  the  corner  of  North  and  Water  Streets,  to  accom- 
modate the  growing  trade. 

Gushards  occupy  the  first  three  floors  and  basement  of 
the  Wait  Building,  which  is  a  handsome  structure  of  brick 
trimmed  in  gray  stone.  The  store  has  a  total  floor  space 
of  48,000  square  feet,  but  recently  the  company  has  leased 
the  fourth  and  fifth  floors,  which  adds  about  24,000  square 
feet.  One  hundred  and  sixty  people  are  employed  here, 
a  bright,  alert  force,  who  give  the  place  a  comfortable 
atmosphere. 

Dry  goods,  laces,  gloves,  hosiery,  shoes,  toilet  articles 
and  perfumes,  notions,  and  a  very  popular  postal  sub- 
station are  the  chief  departments  on  the  first  floor.  There 
are  silks  from  Japan,  China  and  France,  linens  from  Ire- 
land, gloves  of  French  kid  from  Paris  and  of  other  materials 
made  in  Gloversville,  New  York,  shoes  from  factories  in 
the  eastern  cities  of  our  own  country,  beads,  toilet  goods 
and  perfumes  from  France  and  the  United  States,  laces 
from  Germany,  France,  England  and  Switzerland.  The 
imported  laces  are  bought  through  foreign  jobbers  in  New 
York  and  Philadelphia.  They  are  becoming  so  expensive, 
however,  that  the  United  States  is  developing  its  own 
product.  The  hosiery  comes  principally  from  Germany 
and  the  United  States.  All  the  articles  in  the  notion  de- 
partment are  from  our  country,  except  the  needles,  which 
are  from  England. 

The  second  floor  is  the  most  popular  of  all  for  there  can 
be  found  anything  from  a  lovely  spangled  evening  dress  and 
a  wonderful  velvet  coat  with  a  big  fur  collar  down  to  very 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  163 

modest  bedroom  slippers  for  milady's  boudoir,  all  ready  to 
wear.  This  is  not  only  the  department  which  has  the  most 
customers  but  it  is  also  the  most  profitable,  for  women 
must  have  pretty  clothes. 

Rugs,  cretonnes,  wicker  porch  furniture,  nifty  little 
shirt-waist  boxes  and  a  pleasant  rest-room  are  so  arranged 
on  the  third  floor  that  one  feels  warm  and  comfortable  there 
even  on  the  most  blustery  day.  Some  facts  about  the  rugs 
are  .very  interesting ;  the  best  Oriental  ones  represent  in- 
finite pains.  Sometimes  the  Turkish,  Persian,  Chinese,  In- 
dian and  Japanese  people  spend  as  long  as  from  one  to  three 
years,  getting  the  dyes  just  right  and  tying  the  knots  so 
they  will  be  beautiful  and  strong.  The  French  Wilton  rugs 
do  not  come  from  France  but  are  made  in  Philadelphia. 
They  get  their  name  from  a  Frenchman  who  came  to  this 
country  and  invented  the  loom  on  which  they  are  woven. 
Most  of  the  domestic  rugs  are  made  in  the  New  England 
States.  The  wool  from  which  they  are  made  is  imported 
from  northern  China  and  Russia  because  it  is  cold  there  and 
the  wool  grows  longer  than  in  warmer  countries. 

The  basement  is  a  popular  and  interesting  place  because 
it  contains  such  a  variety  of  pretty  and  useful  things  and 
all  sorts  of  toys,  too.  There  are  American  made  toys,  cut 
glass,  silverware,  pottery  and  tinware.  There  are  also 
pretty  baskets  and  hand-painted  vases  from  Japan  and 
dishes  from  China.  Although  Gushards  still  have  some 
toys  which  were  made  in  Germany,  American  made  ones 
are  much  more  substantial. 

The  firm  ships  goods  to  all  parts  of  Illinois,  but  to  no 
other  foreign  country  except  China. 

It  is  a  splendid  store  and  people  of  Decatur  always  feel 
that  anything  bought  at  Gushard's  is  of  the  best  quality. 


164  CITY    OF   DECATUR 


THE  H.  S.  GEBHART  DRY  GOODS  COMPANY 

Junior  High  School,  Room  10. 

In  1896  Mr.  H.  S.  Gebhart  founded  the  Gebhart  Dry 
Goods  Store  on  North  Water  Street  in  the  eleven  hundred 
block.  In  November,  1910,  the  store  was  moved  to  259-261 
North  Water  Street. 

Gebhart's  occupy  three  floors  and  the  basement,  which 
covers  a  floor  space  of  about  twenty  thousand  square  ieet. 
The  building  is  of  brick  trimmed  in  stone.  The  front  of  the 
store  are  show  windows  where  up-to-date  articles  and  ma- 
terials are  displayed.  The  company  employs  one  hundred 
and  twenty-one  clerks.  I  like  to  go  in  the  store  because  all 
the  clerks  are  mannerly  and  ready  to  wait  on  me. 

On  going  into  the  store  I  found  the  first  floor  divided 
into  departments.  The  most  popular  is  the  notion  depart- 
ment, except  on  Saturday  nights,  when  hosiery  and  under- 
wear are  in  greatest  demand. 

The  silks  come  from  Patterson,  New  Jersey,  and  silk 
mills  in  Philadelphia;  woolen  goods  are  made  in  Philadel- 
phia and  other  eastern  cities.  Wash  goods  come  from  New 
York  and  Boston  and  southern  ginghams  from  South  Caro- 
lina. Gebhart's  buy  these  materials  through  their  jobbers 
or  directly  from  the  factories.  I  found  that  the  laces  are 
made  in  France,  Switzerland  and  the  United  States ;  that 
most  of  the  neckwear  and  finest  linen  handkerchiefs  come 
from  Ireland,  but  that  Madeira  linens  and  embroidered 
handkerchiefs  are  made  in  the  Philippine  and  Madeira 
Islands. 

At  the  glove  counter  I  found  that  the  best  grade  of 
gloves  is  the  French  kid  made  in  France.  Kid  gloves  are 
made  in  Austria,  Switzerland  and  cape-skin  gloves  come 
from  Cape  Colony,  Africa,  and  are  bought  from  foreign  job- 
bers in  New  York. 

Some  of  the  perfumes  and  toilet  articles  are  made  here 
in  the  United  States,  but  some  of  the  best  ones  come  from 
France.      Pictorial    Review    patterns,    which    are    made    in 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  165 

New  York,  San  Francisco  and  Chicago,  are  sold  by  the  Geb- 
hart  store. 

On  the  second  floor  I  found  the  "ready-to-wear"  cloth- 
ing for  women  and  children.  In  the  millinery  department 
are  the  latest  style  hats  which  come  trimmed  and  un- 
trimmed  from  eastern  cities.  The  cloaks  and  suits  are 
bought  in  New  York,  Cleveland,  Chicago  and  Philadelphia. 
The  women's  waists  and  other  ready-to-wear  garments  also 
come  from  eastern  cities. 

I  found  Gebhart's  had  a  large  stock  of  shoes  which  are 
bought  in  St.  Louis,  Chicago  and  Boston.  Some  of  the 
heavy  soled  ones  are  bought  from  Germany,  but  the  best 
shoes  in  regard  to  style  and  workmanship  are  made  in  the 
United  States.  There  are  more  shoe  jobbing  houses  in  St. 
Louis  and  Chicago  than  in  any  other  city  of  the  United 
States. 

On  the  third  floor  are  the  curtains,  cretonnes  and  wall- 
paper. Brussels  net  is  made  in  France,  Belgium  and  Eng- 
land ;  madras  in  Scotland  and  cretonnes  in  England,  and 
are  bought  by  Gebhart's  in  Boston.  Filet  nets  come  from 
Philadelphia. 

Rugs  are  made  in  the  United  States,  England  and 
France.  Grass  rugs  are  from  Oshkosh,  Wisconsin.  Inlaid 
linoleums  come  from  England,  while  printed  linoleums  are 
made  in  Massachusetts  and  New  Jersey.  Shade  cloths  are 
made  in  St.  Louis  and  Chicago.  Wall  papers  come  from 
New  York,  New  Jersey  and  Boston. 

The  firm,  in  general,  receives  its  goods  from  all  parts  of 
the  United  States.  Things  that  come  from  foreign  coun- 
tries are  bought  from  wholesalers  in  eastern  cities.  Geb- 
hart's send  goods  to  all  parts  of  the  state,  especially  to 
places  within  a  radius  of  one  hundred  miles. 

The  honesty  and  energy  of  the  company,  linked  to  a  de- 
sire to  deal  fairly  with  the  public,  have  contributed  to  make 
the  Gebhart  Dry  Goods  Company  the  fastest  growing  store 
in  Decatur. 


166  CITY   OF   DECATUR 

THE  STEWART  DRY  GOODS  COMPANY 

The  Stewart  Dry  Goods  Company  was  established  in 
March,  1897,  by  W.  A.  Stewart,  J.  J.  Maloney,  and  E.  A. 
Meeker.  It  was  incorporated  under  the  same  men  in  May, 
1897. 

The  store  is  located  at  227-235  North  Water  Street.  The 
building  which  it  occupies  is  a  very  good  looking  one,  mod- 
ern in  all  respects.  It  has  three  floors  and  a  basement,  a 
total  of  33,000  square  feet  of  floor  space. 

The  Stewart  Dry  Goods  Company  employs  about  one 
hundred  persons  regularly  and  adds  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
extra  clerks  during  the  holidays.  Their  business  is  to  give 
their  best  service  to  the  public  who  patronize  the  store  and 
they  seem  always  to  be  ready  to  do  just  this  thing. 

The  store  is  divided  into  thirty  departments.  The  most 
important  departments  on  the  first  floor  are :  dry  goods, 
gloves,  hosiery,  toilet  goods  and  notions.  The  second  floor 
holds  the  most  important,  as  well  as  the  most  profitable 
department  in  the  store — the  millinery.  On  this  same  floor 
may  be  found  everything  needed  for  the  baby,  as  well  as 
suits,  coats,  dresses,  furs,  waists,  etc.  The  third  floor  is 
devoted  to  house  furnishing  such  as  rugs,  curtains,  and 
draperies,  and  in  the  basement  may  be  found  the  toys,  the 
china,  and  the  kitchen  furnishings. 

Many  of  the  departments  of  the  Stewart  Dry  Goods 
Company  are  supplied  from  the  mills  and  factories  in  the 
United  States,  but  one  may  find  silks  from  Japan,  gloves 
from  France,  linens  from  Ireland,  and  toilet  preparations 
from  France  while  shopping  on  the  first  floor.  The  milli- 
nery department  is  supplied  indirectly  from  Paris  and  di- 
rectly from  New  York,  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  Indianapolis  and 
Cleveland.  Some  of  the  braids  used  in  the  making  of  their 
unusually  pretty  hats  have  come  from  Belgium,  from  Italy, 
or  from  Japan.  The  better  velvets  and  the  exquisite  little 
velvet  flowers  have  come  from  France.  This  department 
carries  three  of  the  best  makes  of  hats:  The  Gage,  The 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  167 

Vogue,  and  The  Phipps  hats.  They  have  found  that  their 
evening  hats  are  the  most  popular,  so  their  trimmers  have 
become  especially  well  qualified  in  the  art  of  making  the 
bright  attractive  evening  hat,  and  as  a  result  this  depart- 
ment has  become  the  most  popular  of  its  kind  in  Decatur. 
A  stranger,  shopping  in  our  city,  soon  learns  to  go  to  Stew- 
art's for  her  hat,  where  quality  and  style  are  so  successfully 
combined. 

The  Stewart  Dry  Goods  Company  do  considerably  more 
than  one  half  million  dollars'  worth  of  business  during  the 
year.  They  sell  to  all  towns  within  a  fifty-mile  radius 
of  Decatur,  to  western  states  such  as  Idaho,  and  have  sent 
goods  to  missionaries  of  Japan  and  China,  who  are  their 
regular  customers  and  who  buy  enough  muslin,  sheeting, 
etc.,  to  last  them  for  at  least  seven  years. 

To  learn  even  as  few  facts  as  we  have  outlined  here 
concerning  the  Stewart  Dry  Goods  Company  makes  one 
realize  why  they  have  become  one  of  the  most  popular  de- 
partment stores  in  Decatur. 


CITY    QF    DECATUR 


169 


CHAPTER  IX 

"EARLY   HISTORY  OF  GOVERNMENT  OF 
DECATUR"— 1829  TO  1911 

Taken  from  "Past  and  Present  of  Macon  County." — 
The  town  of  Decatur  was  laid  off  in  lots  after  the  form  of 
Shelbyville,  as  ordered  by  the  court,  by  Benjamin  R.  Austin, 
county  surveyor  of  Macon  County.  The  old  town  of  De- 
catur consisted  of  twenty  acres  bounded  by  Prairie  Street 
on  the  north,  Water  Street  on  the  east,  Wood  Street  on 
the  south  and  Church  Street  on  the  west.  It  was  divided 
by  a  main  street  extending  east  and  west  known  as  East  and 
West  Main,  and  a  main  street  extending  north  and  south, 
known  as  North  and  South  Main  Street.  The  land  upon 
which  the  commissioners  located  the  seat  of  justice  was, 
by  the  act  creating  the  county,  donated  to  the  county. 


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CITY    OF    DECATUR 


The  first  court  house  was  built  of  logs  and  the  second 
was  built  of  brick.  West  Drug  Store  at  present  inhabits  the 
place.    The  stairs  which  were  on  the  outside  were  removed. 

The  same  act  ordered  that  a  sale  of  lots  take  place  in  the 
town  of  Decatur,  in  this  county,  on  the  10th  day  of  July, 
1829,  on  the  following  terms :  A  credit  of  twelve  months 
will  be  given,  and  note  with  approved  security  will  be  re- 
quired, and  that  the  clerk  of  this  court  will  be  required  to 
advertise  the  sale  in  the  paper  printed  in  Vandalia  until 
the  day  of  the  sale. 

The  settlers  built  their  cabins  of  logs;  the  size  of  these 
cabins  was  from  fourteen  to  twenty  feet.  They  were  usually 
built  in  the  following  manner:  First  large  logs  were  laid 
in  position  as  sills ;  on  these  were  placed  strong  sleepers,  and 
on  the  sleepers  were  laid  rough-hewed  puncheons  which 
were  to  serve  as  floors.  The  logs  were  then  built  up  until 
the  proper  height  of  the  eaves  was  reached;  then  on  the 
ends  of  the  buildings  were  placed  poles,  longer  than  the  end 
logs  which  projected  some  eighteen  inches  over  the  side, 
and  were  called  the  butting-pole  sleepers ;  on  the  projecting 
ends  of  these  were  placed  the  butting-poles,  which  served  to 
give  the  lines  to  the  first  row  of  clapboards.  These  were, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  split,  and  as  the  gables  of  the  cabin 
were  built  up,  were  so  laid  as  to  lap  a  third  of  the  length. 
They  were  often  kept  in  place  by  the  weight  of  a  heavy 


r'^^^O'^r^-  «Lft  o  3  r 


The  Log  Schoolhouse. 
— From  a  drawing  by  W.  H.  Tyler  Co. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  171 

pole  laid  parallel  with  the  ridge  pole  across  the  roof.  The 
cracks  in  the  cabin  were  filled  with  mud  or  a  form  of  mortar. 

The  little  log  schoolhouse  was  where  the  Millikin  Bank 
now  stands.  Richard  Oglesby,  the  President  of  Decatur  in 
1836,  lived  in  a  cabin  and  studied  by  the  fireside. 

Taken  from  "City  Code,  Decatur,  1886."— In  1836  the 
first  officers  were  elected  under  a  township  government. 

1836 ;  Richard  Oglesby  became  President  under  the  new 
form  of  government ;  William  T.  Crissey,  G.  R.  White,  Wil- 
liam Webb,  Thomas  Cowan,  H.  M.  Gorin,  Henry  Butler, 
Landy  Harrel ;  Andrew  Love,  clerk ;  James  Carter  and 
WilHam  Webb,  constables.  In  1838  the  town  of  Decatur 
added  a  treasurer,  an  assessor  and  two  supervisors.  In 
1856  Decatur  changed  the  township  government  to  a  city 
government  and  adopted  a  charter  which  was  approved  of 
February  21,  1867. 

In  1856  John  P.  Post  became  mayor  under  the  new  gov- 
ernment. The  aldermen  which  were  elected  from  the  dif- 
ferent wards  of  the  city  were:  1st  ward,  Frank  Priest;  2nd 
ward,  E.  O.  Smith;  3rd  ward,  J.  R.  Gorin  and  S.  P.  Ohr; 
4th  ward,  J.  J.  Ballentine  and  H.  Taylor;  the  clerk  and  at- 
torney was  C.  C.  Post. 

This  form  of  government  lasted  from  1856  till  1911, 
when  it  was  changed  to  the  commission  form  of  govern- 
ment. 

There  were  many  important  improvements  during  this 
time,  the  new  and  up-to-date  water  works  was  built  during 
this  time ;  many  streets  were  paved  which  had  been  neg- 
lected for  many  years. 

THE   COMMISSION    FORM   OF   GOVERNMENT 

The  commission  form  of  government  was  a  adopted  in 
Decatur  in  April,  1911. 

To  adopt  such  form  of  government  it  is  necessary  for 
the  petitioners  to  present  the  petition  to  the  judge  of  the 
county  court  of  the  county  in  which  the  city  or  village  is 
located.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  judge  to  submit  the  proposi- 
tion to  a  special  city  or  village  election. 


172  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


After  the  petition  for  the  adoption  has  been  correctly 
filed  the  judge  must  give  notice  of  the  election  at  least  ten 
days,  posting  at  least  five  copies  of  such  notice  in  each 
ward  of  the  city.  The  election  is  held  under  the  laws  in 
force  usually.  If  a  majority  of  votes  are  cast  in  favor  of 
the  adoption,  it  is  adopted.  All  proceedings  of  the  election 
must  be  recorded. 

The  commission  form  of  government  differs  from  the 
previous  form  used  in  Decatur,  in  having  commissioners 
instead  of  aldermen.  Under  the  commission  form  of  gov- 
ernment the  officers  consists  of  the  mayor  and  four  com- 
missioners. The  commissioners  are  not  elected  from  wards 
but  are  elected  at  large.  In  the  election  there  are  no  polit- 
ical parties.  Officers  are  elected  every  four  years.  The 
election  takes  place  on  the  third  Tuesday  of  April  and  the 
successful  candidates  take  up  their  duties  on  the  first  Mon- 
day of  May. 

At  their  first  regular  meeting  the  commissioners  of  each 
separate  department  are  elected  to  their  particular  depart- 
ment by  a  majority  vote  of  the  council.  Some  other  officers 
elected  by  the  council  are :  City  clerk,  corporation  counsel, 
city  attorney,  assistant  city  attorney,  city  treasurer  and 
library  trustees.  Before  assuming  their  duties  officers  are 
required  to  take  the  oath  of  office  and  also  to  file  bonds. 

The  council  has  the  right,  power  and  authority  to  ap- 
point and  discharge  the  heads  of  all  principal  departments 
subordinate  to  the  departments. 

Three  members  of  the  council  constitutes  a  quorum,  and 
the  affirmative  vote  of  three  members  is  necessary  to 
adopt  any  motion,  resolution  or  ordinance,  or  to  pass  any 
measure.  Every  "Yea"  and  "Nay"  is  called  and  recorded 
and  every  motion  or  ordinance  is  copied  and  read  before 
voted  upon.  All  commissioners  and  the  mayor  when  pres- 
ent at  any  meeting  vote. 

The  mayor  is  the  president  and  presides  over  the  coun- 
cil. He  is  superintendent  of  all  departments.  He  reports 
to  the  council  for  its  actions  matters  requiring  attention  in 
any    department.      The    commissioner    of    accounts    and 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  17.3 

• 

finances  is  the  vice-president  of  the  council,  and  if  the 
mayor  is  absent  the  vice-president  takes  the  president's 
chair  at  the  meeting  and  presides. 

The  following  are  the  rules  for  the  government  of  the 
City  Council  of  the  City  of  Decatur: 

1.  Meetings— 10:00  A.  M.  every  Monday  and  Thurs- 
day. 

2.  The  council  shall  convene  promptly  at  the  hours 
fixed  for  meetings,  and  during  the  session  the  members  of 
the  council  must  not  be  disturbed  by  calls  over  the  tele- 
phone, or  for  private  business  conversations. 

3.  All  petitions  or  communications  addressed  to  the 
council  shall  as  far  as  possible  be  reduced  to  writing  and 
filed  with  the  clerk  of  the  council,  who  will  report  them  to 
the  next  meeting  of  the  council,  when  they  will  be  referred 
to    the    proper    department    for   investigation    and    report. 

4.  All  bills  and  claims,  including  payrolls,  should  first 
be  approved  by  the  superintendent  of  the  department  orig- 
inating the  item,  and  in  addition  thereto,  shall  be  approved 
by  the  superintendent  of  accounts  and  finances  before  they 
are  submitted  to  the  council  for  allowance. 

5.  All  recommendations,  suggestions  or  other  matter 
from  the  various  city  officials  should  first  be  submitted  to 
the  superintendent  of  the  department  of  said  official  and 
receive  his  approval  thereof  before  same  is  read  to  the 
council. 

6.  The  hours  9:30  to  11:00  A.  M.  each  day  shall  be 
observed  by  the  commissioners  as  office  hours,  at  which 
time  the  public  generally  will  find  the  commissioners  at 
headquarters  and  submit  any  matters  to  them,  except  such 
days  as  the  council  shall  hold  its  regular  meetings.  The 
regular  meetings  are  held  on  the  first  Monday  after  the 
mayor  and  commissioners  have  entered  upon  their  respec- 
tive office  and  after  that  at  least  once  a  week.  The  council 
shall  provide  by  ordinance  for  the  holding  of  regular  meet- 
ings, and  special  meetings  may  be  called  from  time  to  time 
by  the  mayor  or  two  commissioners  upon  giving  not  less 
than  twenty-four  hours  notice  of  such  a  meeting.    All  meet- 


174  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

ings  of  the  council  whether  special  or  regular  shall  be  open 
to  the  public. 

7.  The  following  shall  be  the  order  of  business  of  coun- 
cil meetings: 

1.  Roll  call. 

2.  Reading  of  the  Journal. 

3.  Report  from  Department  of  Public  Affairs. 

4.  Report   from    Department   of  Accounts  and   Fi- 
nances. 

5.  Report  from  Department  of  Public  Health  and 
Safety. 

6.  Report  from  Department  of  Streets  and  Public 
Improvements. 

7.  Report  from  Department  of  Public  Property.    . 

8.  Communications  from  Board  of  Local  Improve- 
ments. 

9.  Petitions  and  Communications. 

10.  Unfinished  business. 

11.  New  business. 

12.  Adjournment. 

8.  Roberts'  "Rules  of  Order,"  except  when  otherwise 
provided  by  law,  shall  govern  on  all  questions  of  parlia- 
mentary law  at  the  meetings  of  the  council. 

9.  These  rules  may  be  altered,  amended  or  temporarily 
suspended  at  any  time  by  a  vote  of  the  council. 

10.  Whenever  a  regular  meeting  day  of  the  city  coun- 
cil falls  upon  a  national  or  state  holiday,  the  meeting  shall 
be  held  the  day  following. 

The  present  commissioners  are: 

CITY  DEPARTMENT 

Charles  M.  Borchers Mayor 

(Department  of  Public  Affairs) 
John  F.  Mattes Commissioner 

(Department  of  Public  Health  and  Safety) 
James  W.  Montgomery Commissioner 

(Department  of  Accounts  and  Finances) 


CITY   OF    DECATUR  175 

Harry  Ruthrauff Commissioner 

(Department  of  Public  Property) 

Alexander  Van  Praag Commissioner 

(Department  of  Streets  and  Public  Improvements) 
Ralph  J.  Monroe Corporation  Counsel 

THE  MAYOR 
Commissioner  of  Public  Affairs 

The  mayor  of  the  city,  who  is  elected  to  a  term  of  office 
of  four  years,  is  also  the  Commissioner  of  Public  Affairs. 

Before  entering  upon  his  duties  after  his  election  to 
office  the  mayor  is  required  to  take  the  oath  of  office  and 
to  file  a  bond,  as  are  all  the  commissioners. 

The  mayor  has  his  office  at  the  municipal  building,  and 
devotes  such  time  to  the  duties  of  his  office  as  a  faithful 
discharge  of  the  same  may  require. 

The  mayor  presides  at  all  meetings  of  the  council.  He 
has  no  power  to  veto  any  measure,  ordinance,  and  measure 
passed  by  council  must  be  signed  by  mayor,  or  by  two  com- 
missioners, and  be  recorded  before  the  same  is  in  force. 
The  commissioner  of  accounts  and  finance  is  vice-president 
of  the  council,  and  in  case  of  vacancy  or  inability  of  the 
mayor  he  performs  the  duties  of  mayor. 

The  Department  of  Public  Affairs  is  divided  into  two 
parts,  the  Police  Department  and  the  Parks   Department. 

The  officers  of  the  Police  Department  are  as  follows : 
Chief,  assistant  chief,  day  desk  sergeant,  night  desk  ser- 
geant, clerk,  driver,  plain  clothesman,  weight  and  measures 
inspector  and  patrolmen.  The  Police  Department  has  as  its 
equipment  one  automobile,  police  patrol,  one  five-passen- 
ger automobile,  two  motor  bicycles,  six  police  call  boxes, 
complete  finger  print  outfit,  police  officer  equipment,  gar- 
age, city  jail  and  one  main  police  headquarters  and  one  sub- 
station. 

The  officers  of  the  Parks  Department  are  assistant  su- 
perintendent of  parks,  four  custodians,  florist  and  workmen. 


176  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  HEALTH  AND 

SAFETY 

The  Department  of  Public  Health  and  Safety  is  the  de- 
partment in  which,  through  great  efforts,  many  lives  are 
saved.  The  council  of  the  city  determines  the  powers  and 
duties  of  such  department.  The  commissioner  at  the  head 
of  this  department  is  vested  with  the  right,  power  and 
authority  to  appoint  and  discharge  the  heads  of  all  prin- 
cipal departments  subordinate  to  the  respective  department 
of  which  he  is  commissioner.  The  commissioner  of  public 
health  and  safety  is  required  to  devote  at  least  six  hours 
daily  to  the  performance  of  his  official  duties.  Any  cases 
reported  to  the  Department  of  Public  Health  and  Safety, 
endangering  the  health  of  the  city,  are  attended  to  by  the 
commissioner  of  that  department.  He  also  has  the  power 
to  make  all  necessary  examinations  of  any  house,  plant  or 
building.  He  can  perform  all  acts  necessary  to  carry  and 
give  full  force  and  effect  to  the  Department  of  Public 
Health  and  Safety. 

The  Department  of  Public  Health  and  Safety  is  made 
up  of  a  commissioner  of  that  department,  health  officer, 
sanitary  officer,  milk  inspector,  superintendent  child's  wel- 
fare home,  chief  of  Fire  Department,  building  inspector, 
and  the  city  scavenger.  The  visiting  nurses'  association 
consists  of  a  president,  vice-president,  treasurer  and  secre- 
tary. The  medical  staff  consists  of  three  doctors.  The 
nurses'  staff  is  made  up  of  one  supervising  nurse  and  three 
visiting  nurses.  In  his  report  of  last  year  Mr.  Mattes  says: 
"The  position  of  the  Department  of  Public  Health  and 
Safety  is  one  which  goes  rapidly  through  all  varieties  of 
experiences  that  make  life  worth  living.  Each  day  has  its 
joys,  sorrows,  praises,  "kicks,"  hopes,  despondencies,  vic- 
tories, minor  defeats  and  smiles;  each  one  carying  its  own 
peculiar  impetus  for  work,  work,  work." 

One  of  the  helpful  things  achieved  by  this  department 
in  the  year  of  1919  was  the  establishment  of  a  "Child's  Wel- 
fare Department."  At  the  head  of  this  department  a  super- 
intendent was  appointed.     The   commissioner  assures   us 


CITY    OF   DECATUR  177 

that  the  success  of  this  department  cannot  be  measured. 
That  all  cases  reported  to  him,  regardless  of  color  or  creed, 
are  carefully  investigated  and  cared  for  or  turned  over  to 
some  proper  agency  or  authority  to  be  properly  cared  for. 
Mr.  Mattes  also  says,  "In  my  report  I  further  suggest  that 
to  increase  the  efficiency  of  the  Department  of  Health,  a 
full  time  physician  should  be  appointed;  a  much  larger  ap- 
propriation for  the  city  administration  is  needed.  The  sick 
of  the  city  should  be  supplied  w^ith  the  following:  A  mod- 
ern contagious  disease  hospital,  a  municipal  system  of  gar- 
bage collection  and  disposal,  a  full  time  physician,  and  a 
public  comfort  station.  In  this  way  we  would  be  able  to 
get  rid  of  most  of  our  'catching  diseases.' " 

Those  whose  duty  is  to  look  after  the  milk  situation 
have  been  doing  great  work  in  securing  proper  milk  for 
the  sick  and  for  the  emergency  hospital  during  the  influ- 
enza epidemic.  Milk  Inspector  Hugh  S.  Baker  says,  "Dur- 
ing the  shortage  of  milk,  we  were  instrumental  in  procur- 
ing the  supply  where  shortage  was  most  acute.  We  also 
made  arrangements  to  have  pure  milk  shipped  in  during 
hard  times."  It  is  the  duty  of  the  milk  inspector  to  inspect 
dairies,  herds,  and  make  all  necessary  inspections  of  stores, 
restaurants  and  milk  depots,  and  to  test  the  milk. 

The  Fire  Department  of  the  city  has  four  engine  houses  ; 
engine  house  No.  1  is  located  at  156  W.  Main  Street,  No.  2 
at  1265  N.  Main  Street,  No.  3  at  550  N.  Morgan  Street.  No. 
4  is  located  at  1154  E.  Locust  Street.  The  No.  1  house  is 
going  to  be  vacated  and  the  Fire  Department  will  move  to 
a  new  and  modern  building  to  be  erected  on  the  lot  owned 
by  the  city  at  the  corner  of  Franklin  and  Wood  streets.  The 
Fire  Department  is  made  up  of  a  chief,  assistant  chief,  cap- 
tain, mechanic,  lieutenant  and  sixteen  hosemen.  In  the  re- 
port of  the  Fire  Department  Chief  Devore  says:  "The  per- 
sonal character  of  the  department  is  excellent  and  the  dis- 
cipline is  good.  The  superintendent  of  the  water  works  and 
his  assistants  have  been  very  prompt  in  furnishing  fire  pres- 
sure for  the  city ;  they  have  cooperated  beautifully  with  this 
department  during  this  year." 


12 


178  CITY    OF   DECATUR 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  building  inspector  to  issue  permits 
to  build  houses,  factories  and  the  like.  He  is  to  inspect  any 
things  that  are  supposed  to  be  in  an  unsanitary  condition. 
He  also  inspects  and  condemns  flues.  Only  twice  during 
the  year  of  1919  were  there  penalties  imposed.  Once  for 
the  neglect  to  take  out  a  permit  and  once  for  interference 
with  the  inspector  in  charge  of  his  duties.  The  need  for 
more  dwellings  is  so  urgent  that  we  look  for  a  large  num- 
ber of  dwellings  to  be  built  this  year.  There  should  be  a 
deeper  interest  in  getting  an  "own  your  home"  movement 
started  here,  as  too  many  who  could  buy  a  home  live  in 
rented  houses.  Mr.  Cope,  the  building  inspector,  says,  "We 
have  only  a  small  number  of  bad  housings,  but  owing  to  the 
scarcity  of  dwellings  we  suffered  thes.e  to  go  over  until  the 
close  of  the  war;  now  these  will  be  remedied." 

We  all  should  consider  the  many  benefits  afforded  the 
city  by  the  efficient  handling  of  work  such  as  is  assigned  to 
the  commissioner  of  the  Department  of  Public  Health  and 
Safety. 

DEPARTMENT  OF  ACCOUNTS  AND  FINANCES 

The  Department  of  Accounts  and  Finances  consists  of 
the  commissioner  of  this  department  and  also  city  clerk, 
city  comptroller,  water  rates  clerk  and  city  treasurer.  It 
is  the  business  of  this  department  to  keep  a  record  of  the 
city  finances. 

DEPARTMENT  OF  PUBLIC  PROPERTY 

The  Commissioner  of  the  Department  of  Public  Prop- 
erty has  charge  of  the  water  and  light  department  of  the 
city. 

The  Water  Department — There  are  7,332  water  meters 
to  be  read.  The  city  is  divided  into  three  districts  and  each 
district  is  ready  every  three  months.  It  is  the  duty  of  one 
man  to  read  meters.  There  is  also  a  man  called  the  "roust- 
about" who  helps  read  the  meters  when  it  is  impossible  for 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  179 

one  man  to  do  all  of  the  work.  There  are  722  fire  hydrants 
that  have  to  be  looked  after  and  kept  in  good  order.  The 
pumping-  plant  is  located  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Sanga- 
mon River.  In  this  department  there  are  four  men,  plumb- 
ing inspector,  assistant  water  inspector,  meter  reader  and  a 
general  utility  man.  Last  year  expenses  for  the  water  de- 
partment were  $16,180.  In  the  plumbing  department  there 
is  one  man  whose  duty  it  is  to  look  after  the  plumbing  in 
the  city.  Every  piece  of  plumbing  that  is  done  in  Decatur 
is  inspected  by  the  plumbing  inspector  to  see  that  it  is  in  a 
sanitary  condition,  and  that  no  disease  may  occur  from  im- 
perfect plumbing.  Inspection  fees  amount  to  about  $100  a 
month,  for  every  time  a  pipe  is  inspected  a  small  fee  is 
charged.  The  following  men  make  up  the  plumbing,  filter- 
ing and  pumping  deaprtments  :  1  chief  engineer,  3  assistants, 
3  firemen,  3  wipers  and  3  coalers,  who  have  eight  hour 
shifts.  It  now  costs  $56,870  to  run  the  pumping  and  filter- 
ing plants  because  they  pay  the  salaries  of  twenty-one  men 
and  other  expenses  also  out  of  this  amount.  Decatur  has 
seventy  miles  of  cast  iron  water  mains  from  four  to  twenty 
inch  and  7,470  service  meters  installed  and  maintained  by 
the  consumers. 

Light  Department — In  this  department  there  are  many 
street  lamps  that  have  to  be  taken  care  of.  Besides  these 
there  are  many  ornamental  lamps  that  are  kept  burning  at 
night.  This  year  the  Department  of  Public  Property  was 
given  $27,310  to  run  the  light  department. 

There  are  five  men  in  this  department  who  look  after 
lights  night  and  day.  Fifteen  years  ago  one  man  in  this 
department  did  this  work  himself,  but  now  it  takes  many 
men  to  do  it. 

Certainly  there  is  no  department  in  our  city  government 
on  which  a  greater  responsibility  rests  than  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Public  Property.  A  careful  supervision  of  the 
water  system,  plumbing,  etc.,  is  one  of  the  most  important 
factors  in  the  preservation  of  the  health  of  the  city. 


180  CITY   OF   DECATUR 

DEPARTMENT  OF  STREETS  AND  PUBLIC 
IMPROVEMENTS 

The  Commissioner  of  Streets  and  Public  Improvements 
has  charge  of  streets,  alleys,  boulevards,  trees,  as  well  as 
the  work  on  sewers.  He  has  the  appointment  of  the  super- 
intendent of  streets,  sewer  inspectors  and  city  engineers. 

The  Commissioner  of  Streets  and  Public  Improvements 
must  see  that  all  streets  that  are  to  be  paved,  and  are  being 
paved,  are  up  to  specifications. 

The  city  yard  offices  are  located  in  an  immense  concrete 
building  on  Broadway  Street,  which  is  shared  by  the  De- 
partment of  Public  Property.  Here  are  kept  the  city's 
iiushers,  sprinklers,  scrapers,  sweepers,  graders,  mowers, 
wagons,  plows,  drags,  a  brick  testing  machine,  a  fully 
equipped  blacksmith  shop,  a  sewer  construction,  repair  out- 
fit, and  all  the  necessary  tools  and  accessories  that  are 
needed.  All  of  these  implements  are  kept  under  cover 
when  not  in  use. 

The  Commissioner  of  Streets  and  Public  Improvements 
sees  to  and  makes  a  report  of  the  cleaning  of  paved  streets, 
sidewalks  and  crossings,  cleaning  crossings,  cleaning  of 
streets  and  alleys,  repairing  of  paved  streets,  and  the  main- 
taining of  sewers  and  to  the  public  improvements — the  cut- 
ting of  dead  and  dangerous  trees  and  repairing  of  side- 
walks, etc. 

To  this  department  falls  much  of  the  responsibility  of 
making  "A  Beautiful  Decatur." 

Some  of  us  were  more  fortunate  in  securing  a  greater 
amount  of  information  on  the  topics  assigned  to  us  than 
were  others,  and  for  that  reason  some  departments  have 
a  more  complete  account  of  the  work  done  by  their  depart- 
ments than  that  done  by  other  departments.  A  few  topics 
which  might  have  been  given  more  in  detail  were  given  only 
briefly  because  they  are  taken  up  in  other  chapters  of  this 
book. 


1MARI0N  PIERCE- 88 


CITY    OF   DECATUR  181 


CHAPTER  X 
DECATUR  BEAUTIFUL 

Although  Decatur  is  known  as  an  industrial  center  it 
may  be  well  to  stop  for  a  moment  to  consider  some  of  its 
beauty  spots.  It  is  interesting  to  know  that  Decatur  was 
one  of  the  first  cities  to  realize  its  short  comings  along 
the  attractive  lines  and  therefore  set  to  work  to  plan  some 
method  of  taxation  which  would  enable  it  to  establish  and 
maintain  such  resorts.  The  comfort,  health  and  happiness 
of  the  people  of  a  city  are  advanced  by  some  place  of  out- 
ing which  is  within  easy  reach  of  the  people.  Natural 
beauty  as  seen  in  the  sky,  clouds  and  streams  is  unseen 
by  laboring  classes  who  hurry  back  and  forth  to  the  shop 
day  after  day,  therefore  beauty  must  be  brought  to  them 
through  the  medium  of  public  attractions. 

Probably  the  parks  deserve  first  attention.  The  well 
regulated  city  of  today  plans  its  parks  as  carefully  and  as 
systematically  as  it  does  its  school  houses,  court  houses, 
sidewalks  and  streets.  The  most  popular  park  is  Fairview. 
It  consists  of  fifty  acres  of  land,  located  one  and  one-half 
miles  west  of  the  transfer  house,  and  received  its  name, 
"Fairview,"  from  Mrs.  E.  J.  Martin.  The  center  of  the 
park  is  a  natural  amphitheater  of  fifteen  or  twenty  acres, 
bordered  by  thick  well-shaped  trees  and  hills.  In  the  center 
of  this  space  is  a  large  handsome  pavilion  made  of  pressed 
brick.  It  is  used  for  public  gatherings  such  as  dances,  pic- 
nics, addresses,  band  concerts,  church  meetings,  and  com- 
munity sings.  The  beautiful  smooth  red  shale  drives  which 
now  surround  the  pavilion  were  at  one  time  the  old  race 
tracks  when  the  park  was  known  as  the  State  and  County 
Fair  Grounds.  On  either  side  of  these  drives  are  long 
rows  of  magnolia,  elm,  oak,  poplar,  sycamore,  locust,  mul- 
berry and  willow  trees.  The  trees  arc  unusually  beautiful, 
especially  in  autumn  when  their  leaves  turn  to  gold,  red 
and  yellow.     Some  of  the  flower  beds  are  found  out  in  the 


182  CITY    OF    DECATUR 


open  spaces.  In  early  spring  groups  of  children  are  seen 
picking  wild  flowers  and  admiring  the  gorgeous  coloVed 
tulips.  Later  in  summer  geraniums,  asters,  tube  roses, 
daffodils,  take  the  place  of  the  spring  flowers.  Last  of  all 
come  the  flowers  of  autumn  which  consist  of  salvia  and 
hyacinths.  Not  far  to  the  north  of  the  flower  beds  are  the 
bears,  rabbits  and  fowls,  while  to  the  southeast  are  the 
deer.  Many  children  stand  around  the  bears'  cage  to  feed 
them  scraps,  cracker-jacks  and  peanuts.  The  deer  are 
so  tame  that  they  will  eat  from  one's  hand.  The  appar- 
atus which  attracts  large  numbers  of  children  is  located 
in  the  northeastern  part.  Here  we  find  swings,  teeter- 
totters,  slides,  turning  poles  and  merry-go-rounds.  On  the 
hills  are  tennis  courts,  while  in  the  center  are  the  baseball 
diamonds.  Lincoln's  cabin  which  was  Decatur's  first  court 
house,  stands  on  a  high  hill  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
park.  During  the  past  year  the  cabin  has  been  turned 
over  to  the  Boy  Scouts,  who  have  remodeled  it  extensively. 
This  historic  spot  is  open  to  the  public,  who  may  stop 
and  inspect  the  furnishing,  which  is  very  unique.  There 
are  three  main  entrances  leading  into  the  park  which  may 
be  reached  by  street  cars  or  interurbans.  After  consider- 
ing the  most  beautiful  park  we  will  now  turn  our  atten- 
tion to  the  oldest,  which  is  Central  Park. 

Central  Park  is  a  track  of  one  and  three-fourths  acres, 
commonly  called  a  square.  In  1837  this  square  was  do- 
nated to  Decatur  for  the  location  of  a  railroad  depot,  but 
later  was  made  into  a  park.  Well  kept  trees,  abundant 
grass,  refrigerated  fountains  and  ornamented  flower  beds 
please  the  eye  and  attract  large  groups  of  people  on  hot 
summer  days.  A  magnificent  bronze  monument  has  been 
erected  in  memory  of  the  Civil  War  veterans  and  a  large 
memorial  tablet  for  our  Macon  County  soldiers  and  nurses 
who  served  in  the  World  War. 

Lincoln  Park  was  formerly  the  city  dump  and  gravel 
pit.  As  the  town  grew  up  around  it  so  many  complaints 
were  heard  that  the  city  finally  decided  to  convert  it  into 
a  pleasure  resort,  which  is  much  appreciated  by  the  people 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  183 


in  the  south.  The  park  has  been  enlarged  until  it  now 
contains  twenty-two  acres. 

Torrence  Park  is  situated  at  the  end  of  East  Grand  Ave- 
nue and  was  given  its  name  in  honor  of  Mr.  Torrence,  the 
overseer  of  the  parks.  It  contains  a  pavilion,  a  wading 
pond,  a  baseball  diamond  and  apparatus,  which  is  enjoyed 
by  the  east  end  children. 

East  Park  was  laid  out  in  1888,  that  is  the  half  of  it 
included  in  East  Boulevard.  The  park  contains  one  and 
three-fourths  acres. 

The  largest  park  of  all  is  Nelson.  It  extends  over 
eighty-eight  acres,  situated  not  far  from  the  city  limits  on 
the  east,  and  reminds  us  of  the  "forest  primeval."  It  is  a 
common  sight  to  see  campers  squatting  about  the  fire  pre- 
paring food  or  roasting  weiners  and  marshmellows.  The 
golf  links,  a  comparatively  new  attraction,  are  located  in 
this  park.  They  are  the  property  of  the  Country  Club 
and  are  said  by  experts  to  be  the  finest  in  the  state. 

Among  the  most  attractive  and  inspiring  places  in  De- 
catur are  the  crests.  These  are  comparatively  few,  as  it 
is  a  typical  city  on  plains,  broken  now  and  then  l^y  a  few 
slight  elevations.  The  two  best  known  are  Oak  and  Sun- 
set. These  are  really  one,  separated  only  by  the  railroad. 
One  cannot  gaze  on  the  stately  oak  trees  which  make 
residential  sections  practically  forest  parks  without  being 
reminded  of  fairyland.  Sunset  Crest  is  a  new  addition  and 
may  in  the  future  become  as  popular  as  Oak  Crest. 

Three  of  the  most  beautiful  cemeteries  are  Fairlawn, 
Greenwood  and  Calvary.  Greenwood  is  a  plot  of  ground 
containing  forty  acres,  situated  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
city  near  the  river.  Its  natural  beauty  and  stillness  make 
it  a  very  desirable  burial  ground.  Fairlawn  has  all  the 
beauties  of  a  well  planned  cemetery.  One  of  the  most  noted 
things  in  the  cemetery  is  the  Sunken  Garden.  It  is  several 
feet  deep  and  contains  gorgeous  flowers. 

One  of  the  finest  things  which  has  been  accomplished  in 
this  city  is  the  boulevards  in  the  east  end.  When  the  people 
return  from  work  too  tired  to  go  to  the  parks  they  may  sit 


184 


CITY   OF    DECATUR 


and  admire  the  blooming  flowers  and  grass  which  have  been 
planted  on  the  boulevards. 

There  are  so  many  attractive  residences  in  Decatur  that 
it  is  impossible  to  enumerate  them ;  however,  we  must  men- 
tion those  in  Powers  Lane,  Lincoln  Place,  Park  Place,  Oak 
Crest  and  the  Mound.  Scattered  here  and  there  are  enough 
homes  of  such  extraordinary  beauty  that  if  placed  together 
with  sufficient  space  for  lawns  would  form  a  spot  unsur- 
passed in  the  middle  west. 

For  flowers  that  bloom  about  our  feet 
For  tender  grass,  so  fresh,  so  sweet ; 
For  song  of  bird  and  hum  of  bees ; 
For  all  things  fair  we  hear  or  see; 
Father  in  heaven,  we  thank  Thee ! 

For  blue  of  stream  and  blue  of  sky ; 
For  pleasant  shades  of  branches  high  ; 
For  fragrant  air  and  cooling  breeze ; 
For  beauty  of  the  blooming  trees, 

Father  in  heaven,  we  thank  Thee. 

— R.  W.  E. 


LOUI3L   OETsr  8 A '20 


MAYNAf^D  LJP£  BA 
-20 


CITY   OF    DECATUR  185 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  FUTURE  OF  DECATUR 

Decatur  of  the  future  aims  to  become  a  city  with  an 
orderly  form  of  government,  a  city  with  a  low  death  rate,  a 
city  of  comfort  and  educational  advantages  wherein  chil- 
dren may  be  well  reared,  a  city  growing  commercially  to 
insure  prosperity,  and  a  city  where  the  majority  of  citizens 
realize  their  debt  to  city,  state  and  nation  by  being  the  best 
individuals  they  know  how  to  be. 

The  late  census  of  1919  shows  Decatur's  population  to 
be  48,592.  Because  of  the  steady  growth  of  the  past  we 
have  reason  to  expect  that  her  population  will  reach  150,000 
within  the  next  thirty  years. 

Decatur's  area  at  the  close  of  1919  was  eight  square 
miles  and  at  her  present  rate  of  growth  and  with  a  popu- 
lation of  150,000  in  1950  we  predict  that  it  will  be  between 
bfteen  and  twenty  square  miles. 

A  great  per  cent  of  the  people  of  Decatur  own  their  own 
homes  and  with  the  expansion  in  business  and  industry 
more  people  will  own  their  homes  in  the  future.  The  new 
residential  districts  will  probably  be  in  the  southeastern 
part  of  the  city,  extending  what  is  now  known  as  Riverside 
addition.  A  second  addition  will  be  in  the  northwestern 
part  near  the  Macon  County  Hospital.  A  third  addition 
will  be  west  of  the  city — north  and  east  of  West  Main  Street 
following  the  Springfield  road. 

The  following  paragraphs  show  the  proposed  future 
growth  of  the  different  business  firms  and  factories.  These 
mentioned  stand  as  types  of  their  kind  and  the  data  was 
secured  from  the  various  heads  or  owners  of  the  concerns. 

The  Decatur  Drug  Company,  which  is  the  largest  of  its 
kind  in  Illinois  outside  of  the  city  of  Chicago,  will  grow  in 
the  next  five  years.  They  will  soon  be  having  a  larger  and 
a  better  building.  Their  products  will  be  increased  as  will 
the  territory  into  which  they  send  their  supplies. 


186  CITY   OF    DECATUR 


The  lumber  companies  are  expecting  to  increase  greatly 
in  the  future.  They  also  are  turning  out  new  products  such 
as  asphalt,  roofing  wood,  finishing  material,  and  will  manu- 
facture the  same  goods  in  different  styles.  The  demand  for 
the  goods  is  so  great  at  home  that  very  little  is  shipped  to 
other  states.  They  share  their  profit  by  increasing  wages 
and  giving  bonuses. 

The  Danzeisen  Company  is  a  large  meat  packing  con- 
cern. The  refrigerator  will  soon  be  enlarged  on  account  of 
the  growing  business.  For  this  same  reason  the  slaughter- 
ing department  will  be  added  to. 

The  Gushard  Company  have  leased  the  Wait  Building 
for  a  long  term  of  years  and  are  planning  to  use  five  floors 
for  their  store.  This  will  make  it  one  of  the  finest  stores 
in  the  state  outside  of  the  city  of  Chicago.  Linn  &  Scruggs, 
iilready  a  high  class  store,  will  improve  their  stock  in  the 
future. 

The  Faries  Manufacturing  Company,  which  now  has  a 
capital  stock  of  $500,000,  will  enlarge  their  plant  by  build- 
ing a  $30,000  building,  150  by  132  feet,  one  story  high.  They 
ship  goods  to  foreign  countries. 

A.  E.  Staley  Manufacturing  Company  in  six  months  will 
consume  50,000  bushels  of  corn  per  day,  which  is  twice  the 
amount  they  were  consuming  in  December,  1919.  Now 
they  employ  2,000  workmen  and  will  increase  the  number 
to  4,000,  paying  them  higher  wages.  Their  manufactured 
products  are  syrups,  glucose,  sugar,  fancy  starches,  a  sub- 
stitute for  lard,  corn  oil,  and  candy,  all  of  which  they  ship 
to  foreign  countries. 

In  ten  years  the  Decatur  Malleable  Iron  Works  expect 
to  increase  its  capital  stock  from  $250,000  to  $500,000,  in- 
creasing wages  of  employes.  They  will  not  ship  goods  to 
foreign  markets,  but  will  ship  more  goods  to  the  same  mar- 
kets in  the  United  States. 

The  Leader  Iron  Works  have  let  a  contract  for  a  new 
building  costing  $160,000,  with  equipment  costing  $40,000. 
The  building  will  be  two  blocks  long  and  eighty  feet  wide. 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  187 

a-nd  fireproof.  It  is  nationally  known  for  the  water  systems 
which  it  builds  for  farm  and  city  homes,  and  for  a  number 
of  specialties  in  heavy  sheet  steel  made  especially  for  oil 
producing  territory.  When  the  new  tank  shop  is  completed 
the  plant  will  have  a  capacity  for  the  employment  of  from 
500  to  1,000  men  and  from  present  indications  of  business 
offered  the  company  will  run  its  maximum  rate  for  some 
time. 

The  Williams  Sealing  Corporation  was  incorporated 
with  a  capital  stock  of  $150,000.  North  of  their  present  site 
they  own  enough  land  on  which  to  build  five  such  buildings 
as  their  present  factory.  The  daily  output  now  is  144,000 
sealing  caps  per  day.  Besides  shipping  to  United  States 
markets  they  ship  to  the  following  foreign  markets :  Ice- 
land, Greenland,  India,  Australia,  Italy,  Japan,  Hawaii  and 
Cuba, 

The  Decatur  Coffin  Company's  business  will  grow  as 
the  city  grows.  They  will  continue  to  turn  out  the  same 
products  they  manufacture  at  the  present  and  will  not  put 
any  other  products  on  the  market.  The  Coffin  Company 
does  not  have  trade  with  foreign  countries.  It  deals  in 
business  only  with  the  many  cities  in  the  United  States. 
This  is  quite  large  and  offers  all  the  business  that  they  can 
handle  at  the  present  time.  The  capital  stock  is  eighty 
thousand  dollars,  which  will  be  increased  in  the  next  five  or 
ten  years.  The  Coffin  Company  has  a  bonus  system  unlike 
those  of  the  other  firms  in  the  city.  They  offer  insurance 
policies  to  their  employes  for  continual  service  and  in  this 
way  protect  the  men  and  reward  them  at  the  same  time.  If 
they  were  to  increase  their  business  to  such  an  extent  that 
they  could  they  would  reward  their  employes  accordingly. 

The  H.  Mueller  Manufacturing  Company  was  originally 
incorporated  for  $68,000,  but  by  reinvesting  the  earnings 
the  value  of  the  business  has  grown  to  be  more  than  $2,- 
CXX),000,  no  additional  stock  having  been  issued.  They  do 
not  now  have  a  plan  for  sharing  profits,  but  are  on  the  out- 
look for  a  satisfactory  plan  of  doing  so.  They  now  have 
what  is  called  a  "Twenty  Year  Service  Reward,"  whereby 


188  CITY   OF   DECATUR 


an  employe  who  has  served  faithfully  and  continually  for 
twenty  consecutive  years  receives  the  sum  of  $500. 

The  Decatur  Bridge  Works  has  a  large  territory  which 
it  supplies  with  its  products,  but  in  the  future  it  expects  to 
have  a  larger  territory. 

The  capital  stock  will  increase.  Excess  profits  will  be 
shared  by  increase  of  wages  and  by  bonuses. 

The  Flint  Eaton  and  Chemical  Company's  business  has 
doubled  during  the  last  five  years  and  they  expect  it  to  do 
as  well  in  the  next  five  years.  Their  present  factory  site  is 
already  too  small  to  take  care  of  their  business  properly, 
and  they  are  planning  the  erection  of  a  new  factory  which 
they  think  will  be  built  in  the  next  five  years.  In  their  busi- 
ness they  are  always  creating  new  products,  adding  a  good 
many  to  their  old  line  each  year.  While  they  will  be  open- 
ing up  new  territories,  they  will  be  adding  new  goods  to 
their  line.  In  all  probability  they  will  not  ship  to  foreign 
countries,  although  their  goods  go  into  practically  every 
state  in  the  Union.  Their  present  authorized  capital  is 
$35,000,  of  which  $32,000  is  outstanding,  with  $3,000  being 
carried  as  treasury  stock.  Their  capital  stock  will  probably 
be  increased  in  the  future.  The  bulk  of  their  goods  is  sold 
through  traveling  salesmen  who  travel  on  a  commission  and 
bonus  basis.  Salaries  in  the  factories  are  usually  increased 
according  to  the  length  of  service  with  the  company. 

The  Polar  Ice  Company  is  Decatur's  largest  ice  plant. 
When  this  plant  was  first  established  it  only  produced  ice ; 
but  today  it  produces  ice,  ice  cream,  distilled  water,  candies 
and  handles  fuel.  In  the  future  they  expect  to  produce 
other  products.  The  company  now  has  one  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  appropriated  for  improvements  on  its  plant. 
The  concern  ships  its  products  to  different  states  of  the 
Union.  They  expect  to  have  even  a  larger  market  in  the 
future. 

The  Decatur  Brick  Company  is  the  only  brick  company 
in  Decatur.  Its  earnings  have  been  very  slight  on  account 
of  the  war,  but  they  have  every  reason  to  think  it  will  grow 
m  the  next  fifteen  years.     They  will  be  turning  out  new 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  189 


products  and  will  ship  old  goods  also  to  new  places.  They 
ship  goods  to  Canada.  The  value  of  the  capital  stock  now, 
1920,  is  $80,000.  Even  when  the  earnings  were  low  they 
gave  a  bonus  and  shared  accordingly  with  their  men. 

The  U.  S.  Wire  Mat  Company,  which  started  with  a 
capital  of  $20,000,  is  now  worth  $100,000.  This  company 
has  been  producing  wire  mats,  fly  swatters  and  parts  of  ma- 
chinery. It  is  planning  to  build  a  new  building  and  is 
making  machinery  which  will  be  used  in  manufacturing 
new  products.  At  present  this  company  is  producing  an- 
nually 4,000,000  fly  swatters,  but  expects  to  increase  this 
output  to  8,000,000  within  the  next  five  years.  Ten  models 
are  being  manufactured,  with  patents  pending  on  several 
more.  These  products  reach  almost  all  countries  of  the 
world  and  soon  will  be  sent  to  all. 

With  the  increase  in  the  number  of  pieces  of  first  and 
second  class  mail  and  of  parcel  post,  the  government  will 
enlarge  the  post  office  and  the  number  of  carriers  accord- 
ingly. 

Decatur's  Public  Library  is  growing  in  every  depart- 
ment. It  is  so  splendidly  organized  and  equipped  with  ref- 
erence books  that  the  University  of  Illinois  sends  her  stu- 
dent library  classes  once  each  year  to  study  the  organiza- 
tion. 

Decatur  has  long  felt  the  need  of  a  Coliseum.  A  special 
committee  of  the  Association  of  Commerce  found  and  rec- 
ommended a  location  for  this  building.  It  is  proposed  to 
have  it  finished  by  1921. 

The  filter  plant  has  a  capacity  of  9,000,000  gallons  and  it 
will  be  increased  to  13,000,000  gallons.  The  new  dam  will 
be  placed  300  feet  west  of  the  Macon  County  bridge  and 
will  cost  about  $300,000.  Its  purpose  is  to  form  a  lake  to 
increase  Decatur's  water  supply. 

On  account  of  the  increasing  number  of  manufactured 
products  in  Decatur,  the  means  of  transportation  are  grow- 
ing. The  railroads  have  been  advancing  with  the  growth 
of  the  city.  The  street  car  service,  also,  is  improving. 
Eleven  new  cars  are  ready  for  use.     About  five  new  cars 


190  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

will  be  added  each  year.  Probably  two  miles  of  track  will 
be  laid  within  the  next  five  years.  One  new  car  barn  is 
almost  completed ;  two  others  will  be  built  within  a  few 
years.  A  new  power  house  will  probably  be  placed  along 
the  river  in  the  near  future. 

Decatur's  institutions  will  grow  as  well  as  its  factories. 
The  Macon  County  Hospital  will  increase  its  capacity,  the 
nurses'  home  will  be  completed  and  in  use,  and  a  tubercular 
and  a  contagious  ward  will  be  added.  The  Pythian  Home 
will  extend  its  work.  The  Anna  B.  Millikin  Home  in  the 
next  few  years  expects  to  finish  off  the  fourth  floor  of  their 
building  for  boys.  This  will  accommodate  about  twenty 
boys. 

The  work  of  the  City  Health  Department  is  steadily 
growing.  Eight  thousand  three  hundred  forty-eight  dollars 
and  ninety-eight  cents  was  put  aside  one  year  for  the  work, 
while  the  next  year  ten  thousand  dollars  was  appropriated. 

Within  the  past  two  years  four  new  clinics  have  been 
established,  one  for  tuberculosis,  one  for  baby  welfare,  an- 
other for  crippled  children,  and  one  for  social  hygiene.  The 
latter  has  treated  three  thousand  cases.  Two  years  ago  but 
one  visiting  nurse  was  employed,  while  at  present  there  are 
lour ;  besides  a  child  welfare  nurse,  a  maternity  nurse  and  a 
school  nurse,  in  order  to  better  care  for  the  public  health. 
This  department  is  planning  to  have  a  medical  examination 
of  all  school  children,  more  school  nurses,  a  special  school 
for  defectives,  an  open  air  school  for  tubercular  children, 
and  a  pathological  laboratory. 

Decatur  seems  destined  to  become  a  great  city.  The 
industrial  future  of  the  city  is  assured.  Public  school 
buildings  are  becoming  more  and  more  thought  of  as  com- 
munity centers.  Decatur  is  planning  to  improve  her  schools 
and  school  grounds.  Roach  School  is  to  have  a  new  addi- 
tion north  of  the  present  structure  in  1920.  As  soon  as  this 
is  finished,  Jackson  is  to  have  a  new  twelve-room  building 
with  auditorium  and  gymnasium.  Five  properties  west  of 
Gastman  School  are  being  moved  to  give  the  needed  relief 
in  playground  space.    The  acquisition  of  eight  lots  has  been 


CITY    OF    DECATUR  191 

recommended  for  the  new  Junior  High  School.  This  acquisi- 
tion for  the  new  Junior  High  School  will  make  possible  the 
creation  of  the  finest  school  plant  in  the  city.  Another  new 
Junior  High  School  is  planned  to  be  erected  on  the  present 
French  School  site.  A  new  eight-room  building  along 
with  a  new  additional  strip  of  ground  giving  the  entire 
block  for  school  purposes  is  planned  for  Jasper  School. 
Additions  are  to  be  made  to  Warren,  Dennis,  Riverside,  Ull- 
rich, Oakland  and  Oglesby  school  buildings  and  play- 
grounds. Improvements  are  to  be  made  to  the  High  School 
and  new  courses,  including  agriculture,  are  to  be  ofifered. 
The  realization  of  all  of  these  recommendations  will  give 
Decatur  a  beautifully  balanced  school  system. 

James  Millikin  University  now  has  an  attendance  of  54S 
students.  In  ten  or  fifteen  years  it  expects  to  have  2,000 
students.  An  endowment  of  two  million  dollars  is  being 
provided.  This  endowment  fund  is  needed  to  pay  the  mem- 
bers of  its  faculty  a  better  salary.  The  institution  is  plan- 
ning to  build  in  the  near  future  a  dormitory  for  women,  a 
dormitory  for  men,  a  science  hall,  a  chapel  and  a  library. 
The  board  are  planning  to  enlarge  and  beautify  the  campus. 
No  plans  for  increasing  the  course  of  study  are  being  made, 
as  it  is  considered  the  course  satisfies  the  requests  of  the 
students. 

Decatur's  two  business  colleges.  Brown's  and  Lyon's, 
see  a  great  future  before  them.  The  number  of  students 
has  increased  three  hundred  per  cent  in  the  last  twenty 
years.  It  has  increased  twenty  per  cent.  By  no  means  does 
the  supply  equal  the  demand.  As  the  number  of  students 
increases  they  are  planning  to  improve  their  departments. 
New  subjects  are  introduced  as  time  changes.  The  col- 
leges are  supplied  with  up-to-date  machines. 

As  a  conclusion  follows  a  quotation  from  Secretary  R. 
J.  Holmes.  This  prediction  of  Decatur's  industrial  growth 
was  given  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

The  industrial  growth  of  Decatur,  during  the  year  1919, 
is  a  cause  of  satisfaction.  A  recent  survey  shows  the  esti- 
mated  value  of  manufactured   products,   the   approximate 


192  CITY    OF    DECATUR 

amount  of  wages  paid,  and  the  number  of  persons  employed, 
in  1919,  compared  with  the  same  estimates  for  1918,  as  fol- 
lows: 

1918  1919 

Value  of  manufactures $21,989,777.30  $34,229,258.51 

Annual  pay  roll  7,643,486.44  11,827,081.67 

Number  of  employes 8,358  10,291 

Vol.  of  wholesale  business...     8,129,432.50  12,313,867.20 

Volume  of  retail  business 6,100,000.00  9,250,000.00 

This  comparison  indicates  an  increase  over  1918,  in  the 
value  of  manufactured  products  of  62%,  an  increase  of  55% 
in  the  amount  of  wages  paid,  and  an  increase  of  23%  in  the 
number  of  persons  employed.  Because  of  the  steady 
growth  of  established  industries  and  because  of  the  assur- 
ing prospects  for  a  number  of  new  industries  who  are  now 
considering  Decatur  as  a  location,  the  industrial  growth 
of  Decatur  may  be  expected  to  continue  at  a  rate  equal  to 
any  that  has  been  reached  in  the  past. 


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